The ultimate promotion
Then Joseph said to them, “Please come closer.” They did, and he said, “I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. Now do not be upset or blame yourselves because you sold me here. It was really God who sent me ahead of you to save people’s lives. This is only the second year of famine in the land; there will be five more years in which there will be neither ploughing or reaping. God sent me ahead of you to rescue you in this amazing way and to make sure that you and your descendants survive.” Genesis 45 : 4 - 7 (GNB) |
Previously we saw Joseph get into a spot of bother with his brothers. This ultimately led to him being sold into slavery in Egypt. Following on from this God uses the situation to raise Joseph to new heights. Ultimately he lands a place in Pharaohs court using his God given gift, the ability to interpret the meaning of dreams. Today we find Joseph being reunited with his family. At the same time he saves them from certain starvation in the middle of a seven year famine.
Sometimes like Joseph seemingly bad things can happen in our lives. However God can use these situations as opportunities to do something really great. Things that are beyond your wildest dreams. Just look at Joseph, he was a teenager working on a farm who was thrown into slavery. With Gods influence he rose to become chief advisor to the Pharaoh of all Egypt. At the same time he also saved thousands of people (including his own family) from starvation during one of the worst famines in the region for years. I am sure you agree this is pretty good going!
God used Josephs experience to elevate him to a position far above anything he could have hoped for or expected. With Gods help he surpassed even his wildest dreams for his life and influenced entire nations, all because he did not lose faith in God.
This week if things dont go to plan keep calm, and keep your faith. God is in control and has great things planned for you. His plans will not always take the path you may expect but keep going, as his plans are always far greater than our own.
Have a great week and be ready for the unexpected.
Header image by: Pascal via Flickr