The life of Joseph as illustrated by Moses in Genesis unveils how unpredictable your life can be. One day Joseph is on top of the world, telling his brothers and father about a dream where they are bowing down to him. One week later, Joseph’s brothers beat him up, throw him into an abandoned well and sell him into slavery. While Moses doesn’t mention this, I’m sure one of his brothers was thinking, “who’s bowing down now?”
And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain and chief executioner of the [royal] guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there. 2 But the Lord was with Joseph, and he [though a slave] was a successful and prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. 3 And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all that he did to flourish and succeed in his hand. 4 So Joseph pleased [Potiphar] and found favor in his sight, and he served him. And [his master] made him supervisor over his house and he put all that he had in his charge, Genesis 39:1-4.
Perhaps the detour and roadblocks which serve as today’s featured passage provided the boastful Joseph with a crucial life lesson. Despite being sold by his initial Egyptian master, the Lord had a plan for Joseph each and every step of the way. Spending time in prison for a crime he didn’t commit only made Joseph hungrier to serve the Lord. Although I’m sure Joseph was expecting a speedier release from jail, this prepared him for his future position in life.
And when [Joseph’s] master heard the words of his wife, saying to him, This is the way your servant treated me, his wrath was kindled. 20 And Joseph’s master took him and put him in the prison, a place where the state prisoners were confined; so he was there in the prison. 21 But the Lord was with Joseph, and showed him mercy and loving-kindness and gave him favor in the sight of the warden of the prison. 22 And the warden of the prison committed to Joseph’s care all the prisoners who were in the prison; and whatsoever was done there, he was in charge of it. 23 The prison warden paid no attention to anything that was in [Joseph’s] charge, for the Lord was with him and made whatever he did to prosper, Genesis 39:19-23.
I haven’t had it nearly as hard as the biblical Joseph, but I bounced around jobs until the Lord molded me into a high school Bible teacher. As Bruce Springsteen once sang, this decade was my “glory days” in the perfect place at an ideal time. More than a decade later, I’m still searching for my next calling. Perhaps, I still need to experience a few more detours, roadblocks and dead ends before I arrive in the place that God desires for me. The hardest part is waiting and the unknown.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 