A couple of weeks ago, I started a series titled ‘doing the right thing in a painful place’.  Well, I want to encourage you that if that is what you are going through, keep your chin up, as you can hopefully take comfort in the story below.

Today, I will be talking about Joseph.  I can’t imagine what it was like for this teenager, whom his father Jacob loved, to be sold by the members of his household, his brothers to be precise and for him to still forgive them , all eleven of  his brothers at the end.

The brothers knew that their father favoured Jacob because their dad had made him a coat of many colours.  As a result, they were jealous of him.  Joseph then had a dream in Gen 37 about his brothers bowing to him.  He told them about it innocently and they were angry and jealous of him.  They plotted to get rid of him, they throw him in the pit and later, he was sold into slavery.  In Gen 39, an officer of Pharaoh, Potiphar bought him from the Ishmeelites who had bought him from his brothers.

Because the Lord was with Joseph, he prospered in the household of Potiphar.  His boss’s wife sees, this young looking foreigner and makes advances towards him Gen 39: 7 And it came to pass after these things, that his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me.   8 But he refused, and said unto his master’s wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand; 9 There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?

This woman did not stop her advances and Joseph kept turning her request down.  He did not say, look at me, the son of a rich man, there were servants in my father’s household and now I am am a slave; I might as well sin against God; no he never did evil in the sight of God, despite the temptation.

Eventually, this woman lied against Joseph and he was thrown in prison.  When in prison, Joseph kept doing good and interpreting peoples’ dreams for them Gen 40-41.  Eventually, his God given talent made a way for him.  Pharaoh dreamt but his magicians could not interpret the dream and the butler and chief baker remembered that there was a young man in prison, who had helped them interpret their dreams in the past.  Gen 41: 9 Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day: 10 Pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me in ward in the captain of the guard’s house, both me and the chief baker: 11 And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream.    12 And there was there with us a young man, an Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did interpret.   13 And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged.   14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh.

I will stop here for today.  The story above is loaded with pearls of wisdom.  Who have you helped in the past that can now help you and has forgotten about you?  The Holy Spirit is going to bring you into their remembrance right now in Jesus name.

Prayer points: Lord where are my divine helpers?  Send them to me now in Jesus name. Father let the people who can move my life forward locate me now in Jesus name.  Father give me a good heart like Joseph, persecuted but not forsaken in Jesus name.  Lord give me the grace to do your will in the face of adversity in Jesus name.