If you don’t understand the life of Joseph, I don’t think you will ever make sense of your own life. Have you ever faced rejection, betrayal, or evil heaped upon you by your own family? There is much to be learned from the life of Joseph.
All the bad stuff that happened to him was not punishment or consequences for sin. He ranks as one of the more righteous Old Testament characters. So, we wonder why he had to endure so much betrayal and hardship.
According to Psalm 105, the Word of the Lord tried him, tested and refined him, preparing him for his destiny. Don’t be discouraged when you have a setback, because God will never quit working on your behalf.
Dreaming got Joseph in trouble initially. Two dreams from God showed him in different metaphors that he would be raised to great authority in his family. As a result of him sharing this with his brothers, they conspired to kill him. You should be discerning about sharing your vision from God. The enemy will want to stop it.
In the account in Genesis, we find Joseph first thrown into a physical pit by his brothers. P.I.T. = People In Training. Then he was sold into slavery in a foreign country. He probably thought that was about as low as he could go. Then, because God blessed him in his new duties for his master, he had favor and protection.
Nevertheless, Joseph continued to face challenges, testing, difficulties, and trials. Because he was blessed with physical health and beauty, he attracted the attention of an adulterous woman who was used by Satan to reroute his life to prison for a crime he did not commit. When you’re down to nothing, God is up to something.
God spoke to me specifically on one occasion that there is never a time that He is not moving. As we look at creation and all we have learned about the orbits of the heavenly bodies and the turning of the seasons, for example, it is evident that the handiwork of our Creator is not static.
Likewise, God was working in Joseph’s life during the years he served in that prison. It probably looked like a dead end. I don’t think the trajectory of any of our lives is a straight line, but there is a divine plan, no matter how it looks.
The names Joseph and Jesus are from the same Hebrew root word meaning “savior” or “deliverer”. Joseph is the perfect type and shadow of Christ. His own rejected him, and he saved another nation, as well as his own.
I want you to know that God uses your challenges, misfortunes and even tragedies to save and redeem you. When you are hit with pain, with adversity, when you are dealt a hard blow, He will use it to prepare you for your next triumph.
The Apostle Paul called his many painful adversities, “momentary light affliction”. And, he went on to say that it was “working a far greater eternal weight of glory”. For a believer following after Christ, adversity is not in vain. You are never at the mercy of circumstances. Even when it looks like the enemy has the upper hand, God’s favor surrounds you. Remember that.
DIG DEEPER
• Genesis chapters 37-50
• Psalm 5:12
• Psalm 105:17
• Philippians 1:6
• Song of Solomon 8:6b
• II Corinthians 4:17
• I Thessalonians 5:17
• James 1:2
PRAY
- Thank God that He is with you through difficult times.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to help you see the eternal unseen in your situation.
- Declare that you will trust Him no matter what.
- Rejoice in His love
REFLECT
Have you ever felt overwhelmed with adversity like Joseph was?
Can you recall seeking God for His help to make it through, trusting Him to bring you out better in spite of the difficult, even heartbreaking experience?
How can you prepare for the next trial in your path?
