The Old Testament has no shortage of characters that can teach us a life-lesson, and today I want to look at Joseph, owner of the ‘coat of many colors’. He was considered his father’s favorite by his brothers, and he paid the price:
“So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.” [Genesis 37:28]
Later, Joseph was unfairly imprisoned for two years:
“For I was forcibly carried off from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing to deserve being put in a dungeon. [Genesis 40:15]
A major part of Joseph’s life centered around the fact that the LORD was with him (and one could surmise that Joseph was with the LORD):
“The LORD was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master.” [Genesis 39:2]
“So Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.'” [Genesis 41:41]
So what is the life-lesson? Despite being forcibly sold into slavery and imprisoned for doing no wrong, he was able, because the LORD was with him, to save countless lives through the seven-year famine in Egypt. And in explaining his situation to his dastardly brothers, he concluded:
“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” [Genesis 50:20]
I have no way of knowing what you have been through, or what you are going through now. But believers must hold onto the hope that God can take a harmful situation and turn it into something that is good. Perhaps not in our timing, but God plays the long game. And Jesus teaches us about how to handle our troubles:
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Take heart! –Keith
P.S.–I recently heard a line from a TV pastor which I hope makes sense-“If your boss at work shows you mercy and grace, it is not an invitation to work more sloppily. Same with God.”