Joseph ( Increase )

 When I think about Joseph, I think about, integrity, forgiveness and increase.  I read in Genesis ch 37, 38 and 39 that he suffered jealousy, rejection, hatred and physical assault from his brothers who, when they saw that their father loved Joseph more than he loved them, hated Joseph and could not speak peaceably about him.   Genesis chapter 37, v.8 says that they hated him for his dreams and for his words, and yet all he did was tell the dreams without any opinion of his own about what they might mean.

Instead of considering that the dreams may have come from God and have a mysterious meaning yet to be revealed, for prophets and dreamers were already accepted amongst God’s people, they became jealous of him.   Their father however, in spite of rebuking Joseph, kept the saying in mind.

Joseph was also to suffer false accusation from another man’s wife, imprisonment when innocent, and ingratitude from fellow prisoners amongst other things, and yet there appears to be no thoughts of revenge from Joseph towards the perpetrators of his sufferings.  Whether he was in his father’s house, a pit, an Egyptian’s house, a prison or a palace, his lifeline remained the same, simple trust in God.

Although Joseph was brought to be a slave in Egypt, his high ranking Egyptian master, Potiphar, saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord caused all that he did to prosper in his hands.  This in turn brought Potiphar to promote Joseph to overseer in his house over all that he had, which in turn brought blessing on the Egyptians house for Joseph’s sake.  What a wonderful example of how, if we as God’s people, serve faithfully in the world according to God’s principles wherever He might have us to be, God will not only reveal Himself to the world through us, but will also bless those who acknowledge God in us, and will bless us through them.  God is asking us only, whilst we are in the world but not of this world, to humbly proclaim Him to the world through the form of being a servant in the world while maintaining the form of His Son Jesus Christ through the presence of the Holy Spirit within us.

It is noticeable that, although Joseph’s brothers were to initiate God’s plan to place Joseph in a position where he would eventually be used to provide food for his family by throwing him into a pit, they were to play no other part in the plan.  They were even stopped from making any profit from selling him to the Ishmaelites.   It is almost as if  Joseph’s brothers were used without greatly being accused.

Joseph trusted in God and put Him first in all that he did in spite of where God placed him.  By doing this, God’s plan for the rest of Joseph’s family came into being.  

Sometimes in our lives, as with Joseph, something done by man that appears evil at the time to us is meant by God for good for the benefit of others, whether in the church or in the world.  Though we may not understand why we are sometimes placed in what appear to be difficult circumstances, if we put our trust one hundred percent in God, knowing that all things will work together for good because of our love for Him, shown through our obedience to Him in those testing circumstances, then not only will we be kept in perfect peace, but out part in the salvation of others will also be allowed to be worked out as one plants, one waters, and God adds the increase.

BLESSINGS

May all the blessings God can bring
be gathered with the hand of Spring
and strewn across your path each day
as Jesus guides you on your way
May shadows of your broken dreams
be always lightened by sunbeams
and you receive the very best
of all that God for us has blessed