LESSONS LEARNED FROM JOSEPH

"So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt." Genesis 45:8

"As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today." Genesis 50:20

I have been going through the most difficult time of my Christian journey these past 17 months. I have been trying to let go of my past, come to grips with my present, and look ahead with hope to my future. There have been moments of great victory,joy,healing, and progress. Conversely, there have been moments of defeat, severe depression, despair,loneliness,and wondering how I would make another day. It has been very difficult for me to let go of my past and the life that I once had so that I could move ahead into my destiny. God has been so faithful and gracious to me during this strange time and is teaching me much. He has used the story of Joseph to bring me perspective, healing, faith, and the courage to leave my old life and move on into my future. These are four lessons I have learned from him that I am currently reflecting on.

I. JOSEPH HAD A DEEP SENSE OF HOW BIG GOD IS

As most of you readers know, Joseph lost his parents, sibling, culture, food, language, freedom, and hopes in one day! Then in Egypt, while serving as a slave in the home of Potiphar; he was falsely accused of rape and sent to prison for years. A door opened for his release while in in prison, but he was forgotten once again. He languished in prison for at least ten more years. Yet he remained faithful as a seeker and lover and servant of God. Then an amazing thing happened and Joseph was pulled out of the pit of prison and was made the second most powerful man in all of Egypt. He walked with the Lord till his dying day and became a blessing to his family, Egypt, and the world.

Over and over throughout his life, Joseph saw the large, loving hand of God working through all of his pain and difficulties. He frequently affirmed that "it was not you who sent me here, but God". In doing so he affirmed that God mysteriously leads us into his purposes through darkness, loss, pain, and obscurity. God is the Lord God Almighty who has your history and my history, your life and my life, in His grip. He works in ways that are often very hidden to us. Joseph understood that God is at work, in spite of, through, and against our efforts and the efforts of others, to fulfill his purposes. (Philippians 1:6; Psalm 57:2; Psalm 138:8)

God never loses any of our past for His future. Every mistake that we make, every sin that we do, every decision people make that affect us, every detour we take in this journey called life, is under the hand of God and taken by Him and is used for His future purposes and blessings.God has used all these things for His purposes. thus Joseph could declare to his brothers, "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today." (Genesis 50:20;Romans 8:28)

I don't know why God allowed Joseph to go through such pain and loss. I don't know why God has allowed so much to happen in my life. So much remains a mystery. But in Genesis 37-50 and in my own life, I can see good things coming out of it. When we trace the hand and purposes of God, we can rest in His goodness and love.

II. JOSEPH WAS HONEST ABOUT HIS GRIEF AND LOSS

When he was reunited with his family, Joseph repeatedly wept.Genesis 45:2 relates the magnitude of his grief, "he wept aloud, so that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it." I am thankful that God does not despise us in our tears of grief and loss. I have wept every day for seventeen months. I can't help it, I feel hurt, grief, and pain over my past. Joseph did not rationalize or minimize those painful years; but out of his honest grieving of the pain, he was able to forgive and bless the brothers who betrayed him. And bless he did, providing for them financially to the end of his days. Joseph was able to look realistically at his pain, loss, and grief yet beyond that he saw that "God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors." (Genesis 45:7)

III.JOSEPH ALLOWED GOD TO DIRECT HIS LIFE, NOT HIS FEELINGS, WOUNDS AND PAIN

Joseph had plenty of reason to have feelings and thoughts like "I have no reason to exist","my life is a waste", "Why go on", "I am useless and worthless", "I should never trust others", "I'm a loser", "I don't want to feel anymore, it is too painful", "I have no future". I confess that these are exactly the kind of thoughts and feelings that I have had these past seventeen months. They have all paralyzed me and caused me to view my life with little faith, optimism, and hope. Oh how easy is it for us to be directed in the present and have a view for our future by past events, experiences, or tragedies. Joseph was very aware of his past. But he did not allow the events, the thoughts, and the feelings from the past to control the present and determine the future. He opened the door to God's future by breaking free from the past and living in what God had for Him in the now.

IV. JOSEPH PARTNERED WITH GOD TO BE A BLESSING TO OTHERS

When he was confronted with the brothers, Joseph could have destroyed them with his anger. Instead he joined God to be a river of blessing to them. He simply did what had become a lifetime practice of turning all his loss, sins, wrongs done, pain into a launchpad to follow the Lord God and to receive from Him what life and others had taken away. God always gave Joseph grace and favor, even during the pain and loss. He lived on God, not his feelings, circumstances, past, or others. That freed to live as a servant inside or outside of prison and trials. When moments came for decisions, he was ready. At that moment he chose to follow God and to be a blessing to others whether in Potiphar's house, prison, the palace, or facing his family.

So, I write this believing in a God of great purposes. I believe that I have been placed me into my life with particular trials, in a particular place, in a particular time in history. I don't see what He sees, but I am asking Him to show me the revelation and purposes that He has for me in His decision. I do not want to miss, waste, or be ungrateful to what he has given me. I want to let go of the past and move on into the future with confident hope and great expectancy. I want to learn from my past, be freed from my past, and not to be crippled by it. I long to be a blessing to my earthly family, my spiritual family, and the world at large.
With God's help, I will!

Pastor Bill