“The Lord was with Joseph and he prospered…”
(Genesis 39:2)
Thoughts… Proverbs 3:33-35 says, “The Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the righteous. He mocks proud mockers but gives grace to the humble. The wise inherit honor, but fools he holds up to shame.”
That promise of blessing is confirmed throughout the Bible in the lives of the godly. It is particularly exemplified throughout Genesis—the Lord was with “so and so” and he prospered him. This is just the way God works!
God is looking for those whose hearts are fully devoted to him—totally committed, faithfully obedient and loyal—so that he might show himself strong on their behalf (II Chronicles 16:9).
Joseph was just such a fully devoted man, and his life a paragon of the prospering presence of God. Read more of his story from Genesis 39:
“The Lord was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph … But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.” (Genesis 39:2-5, 20-23)
Throughout Joesph’s ordeal in Egypt, he continually kept the glory of God in view. When incessantly tempted to sin sexually (who could blamed him for giving in, given the circumstances?), he refused, not wanting to sin against God. When approached by his fellow prisoners about their dreams, he acknowledged the ability to interpret dreams was from God, not from him. When presented with the opportunity to get out of jail if he could interpret the dream, rather than taking personal credit for dream interpretation in order to impress Pharaoh, he deflected the glory back to God. No wonder God did so much to bless and prosper Joseph.
So what are the take-aways from Joseph’s experience that we should expect for our lives today:
One, as Joseph stayed loyal to God, and as God showed himself strong on Joseph’s behalf, others noticed—Potiphar, the prison warden, the prisoners, Pharaoh. What a witness to a watching world the blessings of God in our lives should be!
Two, God was blessing Joseph even in the midst of dire and disheartening circumstances. Blessings are not to be equated with perfect circumstances; sometimes the blessings arise out of those imperfect circumstances. Perhaps that is where the greatest witness for God can be lived out.
Three, the greatest blessing is a life that reflects the glory of God—circumstances notwithstanding.
Prayer… God, how I praise you for your wisdom and your perfect ways. Even in our failure, our trying circumstances, and our pain, you are at work. You never cease to bring about your plan for our good and your greater glory. All things do work together for the good of those who love you and are called according to your purposes. Father, I want to tap into the blessings and the favor that I read about in the lives of these Old Testament characters. I am not too excited about the trials, but even when they come, I know you will be in them. Lord, I am excited about the glory that will reflect well on your name as my life is Divinely prospered. I desire that the blessings you bestow upon me will be obvious to everyone that they are from you, so that you will receive the praise, and not me. Lord, I want to be like Joseph in that I am always living with you in mind, refusing temptation, giving credit to you, and living for your greater glory. Father, enable me today to live that way for you. Before my family, my fellow believers, and before my community, prosper me in a way that reflects well on you!
One More Thing… “A man can no more diminish God’s glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling ‘darkness’ on the wall of his cell…” —C.S. Lewis
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