PASTOR’S NOTES
But remember me when it is well with you, and please show kindness to me; make mention of me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this house.”
When reading the story of Joseph, the ups and downs of the “great dreamers” life often reads quickly as if when one door would shut, another one would automatically open. However, this is not the case, nor is it usually the case in real life. By the time we get to chapter 40, it’s been eleven years since Joseph was abandoned by his brothers. Eleven years since he last saw his father or was in the presence of other God-fearing believer. Many people speak of Joseph as this all faithful and optimistic follower of God, but I believe we can hear the pain in his voice as we read some of the verses in chapter 40.
Joseph shows his emotions in verse 15, “For indeed I was stolen away from the land of the Hebrews; and also I have done nothing here that they should put me into the dungeon.” The truth is, success in the eyes of God doesn’t always feel like the success in the eyes of man. “Successful” is what God called Joseph last week in chapter 39. God’s word said that Joseph was “prospering” in all that he did. However, one chapter later in the story, Joseph is pleading for a new type of “success.” A success that would grant him freedom.
We should all be able to relate to the place Joseph is in this week. From the outside looking in, its easy to see that God was preparing Joseph with greatness. God had a wonderful plan and these eleven years were needed to prepare and grow Joseph into the man he would need to be later in the story. The hard part about life is that even though we can see this from the outside, Joseph is on the inside of his circumstances! It’s so clear reading verse by verse thousands of years later, but so challenging when you’re living each verse in the moment.
Right now, all of our lives are a chapter of this same truth. God is working in amazing ways, but ways that are so hard to see our understanding from the inside. Later in life, some will be able to look back and see His hand on each aspect of our life and how He was not only leading us to salvation, but guiding us to our purpose. However, God’s hand is often hard to see when we find ourselves like Joseph did in this week’s text.
This is where God calls us to faith. Remember the quote from last week’s message, “Wisdom is the ability to see God’s hand working and guiding your life. Faith is trusting in the moments you can’t.” Take comfort this week that in the moments you can’t see God’s hand over your life, that His hand is still there. For those that are children of God, God will never leave you nor forsake you. God will never abandon and will always be with you.
Have faith that God is working all things for His glory and your good.
EXTRA READING THIS WEEK
Read Hebrews 11 (this is the chapter of faith).