PASTOR’S NOTES
Now the famine was severe in the land.”
Each week of Joseph’s story has revealed a great and important truth about God. The good news is that with every truth revealed about God there is beautiful direction for His children. This is the special gifts of God’s word. Truth about God is gold for His people! Chapter 43 is just one of many examples of this in the life of Joseph. The truth seen in chapter 43 summarizes all that we have seen so far in his life. We see that God uses the “good and the bad” ultimately for our good and His glory. We see that hard times are promised, but that God gives us a path to navigate and handle each situation that comes our way through faith in Him. This is good news!
Even though Joseph will not find himself in prison anymore and has risen to great power, it doesn’t mean that hard times won’t occur for him anymore. Take notice, even though Joseph has remained faithful and given God the glory for all that he has become, the famine still came for him. Hard times were promised, and hard times kept its promises.
In the life of faithful believers, hard times often confuse us. When church going faithful people experience famines, we often ask God why? However, we must not overlook that God’s goodness does not just simply consist of His work in our life through hardship (like seen earlier in Joseph’s life), but also His goodness in providing in those hardships and giving us a way out of them. We also see that many times God’s provisions will come before the hardships even are experienced.
This what Jesus spoke about in His sermon on the mount in the book of Matthew when He taught on building on the rock vs the sand. If you go and read the text, the rain will come for both. Even though one home was built on the rock, the rain still came. However, God gave the people a way to withstand the “famines” of life before the famines even came. This is the same truth we see in the life of Joseph. The famine came, but Joseph was ready for it.
God is the same today as He was then. God’s word not only teaches us but prepares us. Are you prepared for the hard times that are promised? From salvation to every aspect of faithful living, God’s word is very clear on the forecast to what’s to come. God’s word speaks on marriage, parenting, the dangers and blessings of money, and everything else you can think of.
Have you taken those truths and built your house on the rock?
Are you ready to stand before God?
Is your marriage ready to experience struggles that are guaranteed?
Are you ready to handle money that could eventually find you?
If you really think about in your life, God’s word has already been there to prepare you for the famines that you have experienced. We should not be caught off guard or confused, we should be ready.
Stay faithful church.
EXTRA READING THIS WEEK
Read Matthew 7:24-29
