Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
"Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh's officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there. 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. The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. So he left in Joseph's care everything he had; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate." Genesis 39:1-6
In Chapter 39, we catch up with Joseph after he had been sold into slavery by his brothers. You’ll recall that the brothers sold him to the Ismaelites and in verse 1, we find that they took him to Egypt where he was purchased by Potiphar, Pharoah’s captain of the guard. One can only imagine how Joseph must have felt at this point, going from favored son to slave in a faraway, strange land with customs far different than his Israelite kin. It was a time of uncertainty…both in what would happen in the present and ahead in the future.
Question: Have you ever fund yourself in the midst of uncertainty brought on by unexpected change? Maybe a tragic loss of a loved one left you suddenly alone and fending for yourself. Maybe you have lost a job when you needed every penny just to get by. Maybe you suffered an injury or were diagnosed with an illness that left you unable to do the things you dreamed of doing. Maybe you encountered a large expense that was not planned for and you don’t have the money to cover the cost. One thing is certain…life can often be very uncertain.
Well, Joseph was certainly in the midst of uncertainty. He must have missed home badly, especially his father. Little did he know that his father believed he was dead after his brothers tricked Jacob into believing he had been killed by wild animals. Given his situation, all would have been lost for Joseph if it weren’t for one very important thing: the Lord was with him and He helped Joseph prosper in the house of Potiphar. In fact, Joseph was so successful that he was appointed attendant and was "in charge of his (Potiphar’s) household, and…entrusted to…care (for) everything he owned."
Question: When you are going through uncertain times, do you always remember that the Lord is with you? One of his very names, Emmanuel, translates to mean "God with us" and you’ll remember He gave us the assurance that He would never leave us nor forsake us. (Deuteronomy 31:6). Yet, we tend to forget in hard times that He is with us ever more. I can’t help but remember the famous writing called "Footprints". In it there are two sets of footprints in the sand for a certain distance but then only one set continues on. The man who had went through difficulties questions the Lord as to how He could leave him when he needed him most. The Lord tells him that the single set of footprints belonged to Him not the man and it was during that time that the Lord was carrying him. What an awesome assurance we have to know we serve a loving God who is ready to carry us through life’s difficulties when they come. All we need to do is just call on His name.
Well, Joseph wasn’t the only one who prospered. We read that Potipher’s household flourished because of Joseph and Potiphar knew it. He allowed Joseph to have control over everything except his food and "did not concern himself bout anything." Joseph had Potiphar’s complete trust.
So all is working our for Joseph despite the unknown future he had when he entered Egypt under the bondage of the Ishmaelites. And it is all working out because the Lord was with him…and only because the Lord was with him. Do you want things to work out in your circumstance? Don’t forget the Lord IS with you. He promised to be and He never breaks His promises. So won’t you come to Him in prayer today and ask Him to reveal His will and way to you. Then pray for anything you need to accomplish His will. When you do this, scripture tells us that the Lord will listen and deliver what you need to carry out His will. (1 John 5:14-15) Ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened unto you. (Matthew 7:7)
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
No comments:
Post a Comment