“From the day Joseph was put in charge, the Lord began to bless Potiphar for Joseph’s sake…” – Genesis 39:5 (NLT)
Chapter 39 of the Book of Genesis gives us another perspective of God. He was with Joseph (Verse 2). God’s presence is explicit. He is present in the drama unfolding in all our lives, just as He was with Joseph. Christians can be certain that as we traverse this journey, the God of our salvation will never leave us or forsake us (Matthew 28:20).
God’s presence caused Joseph to prosper. Noticing this, Potiphar gave him total responsibility for his household and everything he owned. It was clear that God was working in Joseph’s life, and it was clear that Josep was obedient to God. His total humility and willingness to serve caused God’s favour to rest on him. To what degree is your humility and your service to God?
In this early part of Joseph’s new life in Egypt, we see God as the Primary Actor. However, Joseph also had to act, and how he acted tells us a great deal about him.
The Lord went before Joseph and provided divine favour with Potiphar. The devil, not liking this, struck cruelly at Joseph – through Potiphar’s wife. Her attempts to seduce him were not successful. He refused, resulting in her lying to her husband due to her embarrassment.
Joseph was thrown into Pharaoh’s prison. At this point, he could have easily said, “Boy! Look at this mess. I had the birthright, spiritual dreams, revelations, and favour…and now I’m imprisoned because I tried to be morally upright.” But Joseph did not entertain those thoughts; he didn’t speak them because “Death and life are in the power of the tongue…” (Proverbs 18:21 – NKJV). Instead, he did the very thing you ought to do when trouble strikes. He was resolute! He held on to his dream! He didn’t let go of it despite the circumstances.
Because of Joseph’s decision to stand uncompromising in all situations, God continued to do miraculous things for him. He received favour even in prison (Genesis 39:21), confirming that God can provide divine favour no matter where we are.
Hold on to that dream. Do not allow yourself to be moved by every new circumstance, but commit yourself wholeheartedly to your godly call and watch circumstances be a victim of your faith. God wants to give you favours!
Prayer
Help us, gracious God, to be attentive to the needs of those around us, even when we ourselves are in situations of darkness and despair; in the name of Jesus, Amen.
Read: Proverbs 10:22; Psalm 37:4
Bible Reading Guide: Psalm 88:1-9; Romans 6:15-23; Romans 7:1-6; Hosea 3; Hosea 4; Hosea 5
