God’s plan for Joseph’s life
VERSE OF THE DAY 📜
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The Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. – Genesis 39:21
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Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. And Potiphar, an Egyptian captain of guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there. Joseph was a slave. He seemed to have no control over his destiny, but was bought and sold like a piece of property.
By his trust in God, diligent work, and blessing from God, Joseph showed Potiphar that God was real and his God was with him. So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. From the time that he had made him overseer of his house, the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the LORD was on all that he had in the house and in the field.
Because of God’s blessing and Joseph’s faithfulness, God made sure Joseph was advanced in his position, even as a slave. Joseph believed God could bless him right where he was, so he didn’t wait for a better situation to be blessed by God.
It took 11 years for the full measure of God’s blessing to be accomplished in Joseph’s life. God gave Joseph great administrative skill, and now the heart of a hard-working servant was added to that.
Joseph was an attractive man(Genesis 39:6). His master’s wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, “Lie with me”: Potiphar’s wife was undeniably forward towards Joseph. Maybe Potiphar’s wife felt deprived. Perhaps Potiphar was a eunuch, and the marriage was purely a ceremonial arrangement. It may be that she felt free to pursue sexual pleasure outside the marriage.
Joseph wisely avoided being alone around Potiphar’s wife. As he avoided her, she made a plan to trap him. She caught him by his garment, again saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand and ran outside.
She then lied to Potipher that Joseph tried to abuse her. It must have offended and grieved Joseph to be accused under such an outrageous lie. Yet he did not seem to defend himself against this false accusation.
Then Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison. Poor Potiphar! He was left with his wife and without Joseph, who made his whole household run well.
While in prison, the keeper of the prison gradually gave Joseph authority to handle prisoners seeing the goodness in him. Joseph rose to the top, becoming the chief administrator of the prison.
If God blessed Joseph in the pit, if He blessed Joseph the slave, we are not surprised to see that He blessed Joseph in prison. None of these terrible circumstances changed or defeated God’s plan for Joseph’s life.
We rightly admire Joseph as an example of a man of God who resisted temptation.There are many who resisted temptation, still, none of these compare to Jesus. Jesus was tested and tempted in ways we can’t even imagine, yet He remained perfect and sinless. Filled with Jesus, we can have the strength to resist temptation. Like Joseph blessing can be brought also upon our workplace when we have godliness in us.When we leave all that we have in Jesus’ hand, our home and life will be blessed. We see that Jesus is the hope of all who fail under temptation. Yes HE is our HOPE.
PRAYER 🙏
Lord, help us to see sin as You see sin. Deliver us from pettiness. Open our eyes to Your presence in our lives. Give us the mind to flee from temptations in the same way as Joseph did. Guard us, strengthen us O Lord in our hardships. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
A lost sheep found out by Jesus 🐑 ✝️