SCRIPTURE: Genesis 39
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.” The Spirit then compelled Jesus to go into the wilderness, where he was tempted by Satan for forty days. He was out among the wild animals, and angels took care of him. (Mark 1:11-13) Why does God drive those He loves into the wilderness? Ask Israel, Elijah, John the Baptist, or Jesus. Ask many Jesus-followers throughout the ages. Isn’t life supposed to go better when we turn our lives over to God?
God has a special plan for Joseph, and reveals it to him in his dreams. We do know the story, so we know that God sends Joseph to Egypt with the future purpose of feeding many people through a severe famine. But put yourself in Joseph’s shoes during this time of slavery away from home. At the time, all that he saw was that God had let him down, had driven him into this ‘wilderness’ right after showing him that he loved him.
What would you do. Or better, what do you do? How do you respond when you get sick, or lose your job, or see your investments diminish, or go through deep sorrow, or your dreams don’t come true… Many people get angry, blame and reject God, pull away or lose their faith. The struggles are real, and we are free to ‘wrestle’ with God about them. But do we let go of God?
If we do, He is still good and loving, and will keep working with us. But the important lessons that we need to focus on are “the Lord was with Joseph” in that wilderness period, and Joseph remained “with” God, refusing to dishonour him with immorality. Joseph shows us the better way. Like Jesus, we need to stick close to God, especially in those wilderness periods.
It’s not easy, and we will fail. But God is good, He waits a long, long time for us. He is patient (literally ‘long-suffering’). But what is clear is that staying true to God, especially in the wilderness, is exactly what we need to aim for. When we do, God starts to reveal His plan and purpose. And we eventually begin to see that even these hard places are used by Him for great good.
PRAYER:
Lord, help me to stay true to You, especially when life goes against me, or when I am facing temptation. Thank You for Your patience, please help me to persevere!
Wow, where did Joseph learn integrity in such a household he came from?
I believe the key was in the fact that “the Lord was with Joseph”
Boy, sounds alot like the Calvinism doctrine I am now reading about…
I know there is more to it but the facts are still there
On one hand, the Lord was with Joseph (the Lord chose him)
On the other hand, Joseph chose to be faithful to the Lord and not to emotions.
Whatever our lot, can we be able to say, it is well, it is well, with my soul.
I need to let go of the anxiety of mapping out my life and just choose to trust God and let his chosen way for me bear fruit.
LORD, Potiphar noticed that Your hand was upon Joseph. Do I live my life in such a way that others’ notice the blessings by Your hand in my life? LORD, may You always be identified in my life. Forgive me for the times when I do not give You all the glory, all the credit. Forgive me when I am living so much in the flesh that the Spirit cannot be recognized.
LORD, no matter what I face in this life as each day unfolds, I pray that by Your Spirit I will allow myself to completely trust in You; to know that my life, my hope, my all is in You. Then LORD, others will meet You. I don’t want to live in fear. I don’t want to react to difficult situations in my flesh.
I know that I could not have handled the things that happened to Joseph. Thank You LORD that we are not called to face anything that we are not equipped to deal with as long as You are the center of our lives. LORD, I know that trials strengthen us, draw us closer to You but that is such a hard prayer to pray. I don’t trust myself. Thank You LORD that when I fail such testing, You do not give up on me. Thank You LORD that You are always teaching me….
LORD, one day, I will be as You created me to be and for that I give You thanks and praise with all my heart. For now, I thank You LORD for meeting me in the place that I am and that You are continually growing me in Your love. Change my heart oh God. Have Your own way LORD, have Your own way. Take my life and let it be, consecrated LORD to Thee……. Great is Thy faithfulness!