Monday, January 21, 2008
Lessons from Joseph
Joseph's life got off to a rocky start. As Rachel's firstborn, he was a favorite of Jacob's and Jacob made no secret of that fact. Early on, Joseph didn't have the good judgment to live in humility - and his brothers made him pay. Over time, God developed Joseph's character through adversity. God blessed everything Joseph did, and Joseph began to exercise good judgment. When Joseph was thrown in prison, God continued to bless Joseph. When it came time to interpret dreams, Joseph gave God the credit (Genesis 40:8 and 41:16). Daniel would echo this centuries later when he was called upon to interpret a dream (Daniel 2:28). When Joseph had the chance to hold a grudge against his brothers, he instead recognized God's sovereignty despite his brothers' evil intentions (Genesis 45:5 and 50:20). Centuries later, Esther also found herself uniquely situated to save God's people (Esther 4). Joseph's life is an excellent lesson in both long-suffering and God's sovereignty. God can use you right where you are to further his kingdom.
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1 comment:
It's a good reminder to me that God is at work in the tough times and the great times- He moved Joseph through a lot of hard times to get him to the "exciting" stuff. Seeing how God worked with Joseph encourages me that He is at work in my life even when it is mundane.
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