If there were ever a true optimist in this world, it was Joseph. He was an optimist because he put his full trust in God. Yesterday I left you in Genesis 37. If you read it or are familiar with the story Joseph was pulled out of the cistern by his brothers, not Reuben who had planned to rescue him. Reuben tore his clothes when he found out that Joseph was missing which is a sign of mourning. The brothers did spare his life though, thanks to Judah, one of the brothers. He suggested that they make some money off of him by selling him as a slave to some Midianite merchants for twenty shekels of silver, a little less than what was paid to Judas to betray Jesus which was 30 pieces of silver but this was a long time before that happened! The Ishmaelites who bought him took him to Egypt where they sold him into slavery to an official of Pharaoh’s, Potiphar. In chapter 39 of Genesis you can read of this account.
Genesis 39:2 - 4 “The Lord was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant.”This is what I have been pondering. Joseph was a young man that many would say was maybe a little conceited. He seemed to be a little stuck on himself but I don’t think he really was as stuck on himself as everyone thought. I believe he just trusted God, plain and simply trusted God. I have been amazed by this story because when I am stuck in the cistern I feel sorry for myself. I cry to the Lord and ask “why?” and I generally make others around me miserable too. You know the saying, misery loves company.
I remember the time that I was told I would have to go to the high school and teach full time. I was frustrated that my passion was being taken away from me and frustrated that I was not really qualified to do what they were asking of me. I had to realized that this job was where God had placed me and that I should work as if I were working for Him not for man. Once I did that, I became more committed to my work and prospered in it. I still cared about those ones I had to leave but I entrusted them into His care and He provided. One child that I had to leave was a sweet little girl who had many medical problems and had severe multiple disabilities. She was in the school system and we were working on getting her to communicate and walk. I had worked with her even before she entered school and she and her family were very dear to me. It broke my heart to leave her. During that year she went to be with Lord. I attended her funeral and found out that day that a dear lady who I did not know had been her caretaker. She was mentioned at the funeral as one those who provided such good care to this precious little girl. At that funeral I learned that God will take care of those we pray for as He cared for her. At that point I turned again to my faith and realized I was where I needed to be whether it hurt or not and that God was in control.
The story doesn’t end there, when an opening came available for a paraprofessional, I ended up hiring the caretaker that had been with this precious little girl. She continues her work in the classroom that I left when I was called to be the principal of the charter school. She has carried out the work that I assigned to her and what’s even more fantastic, I call her friend! She is a dear friend with a huge heart and I love her as a Christian sister.
Another amazing fact is that I had the privilege of serving this little girl’s big brother in advisory class at the high school his freshman year and got to shake his hand as he crossed the stage to graduate. God works in such amazing ways!
So what is so amazing to me about Joseph is that you never hear of him complaining, crying out “why?” or being bitter. You think that he must have thought it but I am not sure he did. My thinking in that is that there are many examples of great God fearing people who questioned God. Abraham, Moses, Job, Jonah, the list goes on . . .but not in this case. I believe that he truly believed wholeheartedly that God was in control and if he were being treated this way by his brothers, there was a reason and God would see him through. The other thing that amazes me is that God did not speak directly to him but rather spoke to him through dreams. Some of those He spoke directly to even doubted but Joseph, pegged “a dreamer” was confident that God was in control and trusted him fully. Simply amazing!
Tomorrow we will look at yet another challenge that came about with Joseph and how he responded to it. In the meantime, think about your challenges of life both past and present and consider how you have responded and are responding to your situation now. Are you crying out or are you simply trusting or maybe a mixture both? Put your faith in God and He will supply your needs as you seek Him and find Him when you seek Him with all your heart.
Seeking Him with all my heart,
Sheila
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