That's not just a pretty platitude meant merely to uplift us in our day; that is a promise made in scripture meant to persevere us through the process of life. It is our ship in the tempestuous sea; it was spoken to us by Paul in the book of Romans. To apply that promise to our life, focus on scripture in Genesis: the story of Joseph's life. No matter who opposed him, no matter how often or strategically, Joseph exemplified that faith in God's systematic process would bring their plans to naught. Through trust in God, burdens are reformed divinely into blessings and are therefore worthwhile to endure.
- PROMISES ARE PLANS
Whether we can see it, interpret it, or not, God has a promise, a vision for our life; behind it, God has a plan.
As a youth, Joseph had prophetic dreams about his life. God had a plan for him, one that Joseph did not understand and his family resented. Joseph's dreams seemed brash, as they suggested that Joseph would rule over his older brothers (a concept that was unheard of in his time and culture). Yet with his frank and loquacious heart, Joseph continued to share his dreams with them.
Joseph's brothers already resented him because he was one of his father's favorite sons. Joseph was born to his father's true love, Rachel. His brothers had been born to different women and although they outranked Joseph by age, he outranked them in affection from his father. They already felt threatened by Joseph and so his dreams, which seemed to support the idea that he would rule over his siblings, pushed them over the edge.
The irony is that Joseph simply shared his dreams. His family interpreted them. And though they interpreted them correctly, it was not Joseph's idea or plan to bring them about; it was God's. Joseph did not mean to offend them; he had no personal desire to usurp his brothers but he was treated as though he had. Several of Joseph's brothers plotted surreptitiously to kill him, but were swayed to keep him alive by brothers Reuben and Judah. Instead, they decided to sell him into slavery. So Joseph was torn from his family and carted to Egypt as a slave.
But God had a plan, a vision for Joseph's life, and that vision was a promise. Joseph saw God's promise for his life in a dream, but what he did not see was the plan. Joseph did not dream of his brothers betrayal; he did not dream of his faked death; he did not dream of his own enslavement. He dreamed the promise, not the plan. As we read scripture, we all receive God's promises; none of us receive God's detailed plan. The promise is always bright and clear but the way toward it seems to meander; only God understands how A connects to B, and B to C and so on until eventually we arrive at our promised destination.
- ENDS ARE BEGINNINGS
God re-purposes the faults and fractures in our life.
To hide their betrayal from their father, the brothers faked Joseph's death. They brought their brother Joseph's coat, covered in animal's blood as "evidence" of his death. As his father spiraled into deep despair, his heart ripped from him just as much as his son, Joseph's life seemed to spiral downward as well. What hope did his life have as a nameless slave?
To the world, Joseph's story seemed to be over. How could he recover from such betrayal? How could he climb from so low a position? How could he obtain freedom as a slave with no resources? He couldn't. Except Joseph did have a resource: God. And therefore what seemed like his end was actually his beginning. The situation did not reflect it, but God began to unfurl His plan. Joseph was exactly where God intended him to be.
In Egypt, Joseph gained the favor of the Pharaoh, the ruler of the country. Without God's intervention, Joseph's chances to merely encounter the pharaoh were slim to nonexistent. With God, Joseph was able to obtain more respect and position in a foreign place than he had in his own home. Enslaved, Joseph made what would prove to be crucial connections he never would have been able to make at home.
For though Joseph faced a beginning, a wide stretch of land, including his home and family were on the brink of an end: a famine so prevalent they would not survive it without divine intervention. Joseph became God's tool of intervention. From Joseph, we should learn that what appear to be ends and enemies are actually pieces on a board God is manipulating to ensure we win the game.
- CAGES ARE CLASSROOMS
Our limitations prepare us for the responsibility of free reign
Pharaoh promoted Joseph to second-in-command. Equal in power with the pharaoh, Joseph had more power in Egypt than any other person. Evidently, God decided Joseph was not quite prepared to utilize that power. It was not the right time, not for Joseph, and not for the bigger picture either. It was a real life, hands-on glimpse of the dream Joseph had as a youth and then it was stripped away.
Pharaoh's wife was attracted to Joseph and tried, repeatedly, to seduce him. Joseph resisted but was deemed the guilty party when the woman lied and turned the situation against Joseph out of spite for his refusal of her. Joseph exhibited restraint, humility, respect and honor yet the culmination of events seemed to be a punishment: Joseph was sent to prison. He was, suddenly, unjustly, even lower than a slave.
Do not be hasty to interpret the circumstances of life, because we most likely do not readily understand. Initially, it's hard to understand why Joseph would seemingly be punished for such honorable behavior. But Joseph was not being punished, he was being prepared. By behaving honorably, Joseph was promoted by God...into prison. He reached the next level of his training: to not simply have position, but to know how to wield the power that position presents. Joseph proved he would behave honorably, but now he would learn how to reign productively.
In prison, Joseph received hands-on leadership training. His favor with God and good behavior in the prison advanced him as a keeper of the prisoners. He was imprisoned yet given the position and power of a guard. His leadership over the prisoners prepared him for leadership over the country of Egypt. Joseph learned about the endurance of faith. He learned patience and trust. He organized the prisoners and their schedules. He dealt with their problems. Rather than descend in emotion, in spirit or in character, Joseph ascended in all of those places and more. Joseph grew in spirit and character because he understood and utilized every place, situation and relationship in his life as a lesson, as blessed instruction and as direction from God.
- SLAVES ARE RULERS
Servants of God have power in the world.
It transpired that Joseph possessed a skill that the Pharaoh needed. Joseph's dreams returned, yet this time, Joseph was made able by God to interpret them. Every night, the Pharaoh was plagued by ominous dreams but had no interpretation of them. Joseph was plucked from prison as a person who had accurately interpreted a prophetic dream. Presumably he could do so again. With God's help, he did; Joseph interpreted to Pharaoh his dream: a massive famine was imminent and Egypt was unprepared.
Joseph's accurate interpretation reestablished his position and power under Pharaoh. Joseph was entrusted with the responsibility of preparing and thus saving Egypt from the disaster. It put Joseph in a position to save his family also, as they lived within the region that would suffer the drought, but lacked the resources to survive it.
Joseph served God's purposes and therefore God made him eligible and in possession of power in the world. We are not likely to be promoted as second-in-command to a Pharaoh or any other leader living today, we may be far removed from ancient times, but God still positions His children in places where they can be instrumental.
Joseph evidenced that he had a relationship with an entity that superseded the laws of the world: he did what no person around him could do; he saw what no person around him could see. Therefore Pharaoh and Egypt accepted Joseph as their most valuable asset and they let him put his leadership skills to work. Joseph efficiently planned for the country, he stored food, collected produce, and appointed officers for managing it all. He built up a storehouse, a reserve of food that the country could rely on during the famine.
When our actions have the undeniable mark of God on our life, we also will be placed in leadership positions: as models of righteous behavior and also wise action in relationships, careers, situations and other aspects of life. But first we have to endure the training. We have to build that relationship with God. To have His mark on our life, we need to allow Him to put His fingerprints all over it. Those situations may not (likely will not) always appear as the blessings they truly are. Joseph was resented, betrayed, enslaved, shamed, and imprisoned before God's plan within his life began to appear and make sense.
- WRECKS ARE RECONCILIATIONS
God ties loose ends, closes cases and reveals all purpose.
God's work is intentional and comprehensive. Joseph's steadfast faith and obedience, his willingness to be an active vessel of God's will, resulted in region-wide survival and fulfilled purpose. But God's work was intentional and comprehensive in Joseph's personal life as well. There were wounds that had not yet healed in Joseph's heart: his brothers' lie persisted, his father still thought him dead, he had not reunited with his family or returned to his home.
But it was not God's plan for Joseph's personal life to languish while his public life excelled. Joseph started his own family in Egypt; he married and had children. God continued to mend. Joseph's brothers were sent to Egypt, as Egypt was the only place during the famine that people could purchase food. Though it was more of an ordeal than a single sentence can relay, Joseph was reunited with his family. His brothers had to face their actions and admit their faults.
Even complete wreckage in our past can be mended by God. Sometimes we do not receive the forgiveness or the apology or the reunion that we deserve and long for, but God weaves closure all the same. It was bittersweet for Joseph, for his brothers and for his father but it was reconciliation.
When we elect to be an instrument of God, understand that we are a deeply loved instrument. We are a valued vessel, a host of His spirit. He cares about our purpose and He orchestrates our purpose as intently as he brings about His. He intricately weaves the details of our life within the pattern of His master plan. In the thick of life, that fact is not often evident. But through Joseph, we get a glimpse into the process, the plan, the way God does intentional work, constantly, with and within our lives.
Joseph had peace. He understood all of the harm done to him as circumstance that he had ultimately benefited from. He accepted it all as circumstance through which God had actually blessed him. Joseph was content and even-tempered when without God he would have been jilted and volatile. At best he might have died as a slave or wilted as a prisoner. At worst, he might have abused his power and position over Egypt and his family. He would have lived plagued with questions and bitterness and died with discontent and estrangement. That desperate end might be what the world means for us, but is it never what God plans for us.
Genesis 50:20 states "But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive." God has grand plans. He rescues us and then through us, rescues many others. He divinely utilizes all of the elements of our life to strengthen us, teach us, prepare us and place us in positions which abound blessing. We do not have to worry about what evil or enemy plots against us because all of their plans are re-purposed by God to benefit those who love Him.