Joseph, at age 17, had a dream and saw his brothers bowing down before him. He shared that with his brothers, who already had a problem with him because their father, Jacob, favored Joseph. Joseph was given a beautiful coat and stayed at home to run special errands for dad. Jacob sent him to check on his brothers, they saw him and plotted how to get rid of him. They took his coat put blood on it then sold Joseph to slave traders. “Joseph had been taken to Egypt. And Potiphar, an Egyptian, bought him…THE LORD WAS WITH JOSEPH, and he was a successful man; and his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD made all he did TO PROSPER in his hand.” (Gen. 39:1-3)
As we take a look at Joseph’s life, we often see these words – THE LORD WAS WITH JOSEPH, just as HE WILL BE WITH US, Through many trials, being accused of rape, jail time and abandonment, God never left him. Joseph’s character, strength, and spiritual maturity came about, in part, through the crises he endured. Joseph never wallowed in self-pity. Instead, HE ALLOWED HIS TROUBLE TO TRAIN HIM. Joseph interpreted dreams for servants of Pharaoh who served some jail time and ended up standing before Pharaoh. “Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have heard it said of you that you can understand a dream, to interpret it…Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.” (Gen. 41:15, 39-40) So, when the world wide famine hit Joseph’s brothers came and “bowed down to him” not knowing who he was.
OUR GOD CAN MAKE ANYTHING HAPPEN AT ANY TIME HE CHOOSES SO WE MUST BE FAITHFUL TO HIM…
-Bill Stockham