Joseph

I have recently been reading the story of Joseph. It’s an awesome story of how God had His hand on him throughout his life. Joseph was the most loved son of Jacob and was given a coat of many colours, but when Joseph told of the dreams he was having of his brothers, stars and moon bowing before him, his brothers’ jealousy grew. Eventually they came up with a plan to get rid of him.

His brothers sold Joseph into slavery. ‘“Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood.” His brothers agreed”’ (Genesis 37:27). I can only imagine what Joseph must have been feeling. He must have felt hugely betrayed.

And then Joseph was falsely accused by his master Potipher’s wife, that he was trying to force her to sleep with him, and Joseph was thrown into prison as a result of her accusations.  ‘“She called her household servants. “Look,” she said to them, “this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us! He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed”’ (Genesis 39:14).

I think at this point I would have given up. However, Joseph held on to his faith in God.

The Lord was with him in prison and gave him favour in the eyes of the warden. Sometime later we read that Joseph interpreted the dreams of Pharaoh’s chief cupbearer and baker, and later, as those dreams came to pass, Joseph asked them to remember him. However, he was forgotten.

It was a couple more years before Joseph was remembered, after Pharaoh had a dream that no one could interpret. ‘“Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it”’ (Genesis 41:15).

Joseph told Pharaoh he couldn’t do it, but he could ask God to give him the answer. After Joseph was able to give Pharaoh the interpretation of the dreams, Pharaoh put him in charge of the palace and the whole land of Egypt.

So, although Joseph was betrayed, falsely accused, put in prison, and forgotten about, during the twelve years that this was happening, God was preparing Joseph for something far greater.

As I was reading this story of Joseph, I thought about my own story, and I could empathise with him. I was so encouraged by the outcome in Joseph’s life, and I could see in my own life where God had similarly worked in me and prepared me for His plan for my life. I chose to forgive, to lay down areas that need laying down, and I choose to trust God.

How about you?