What If? More Thoughts on Joseph

Continuing my thoughts on Joseph's story, I can't help but wonder what it must have been like for him to experience all he went through.  He fell far and he fell hard -- from the favored son, to the son thrown into the pit and sold off to be a servant in Egypt; from being part of a large family to being alone in a strange land.  He spent 13 long years in obscurity, in loneliness, and, I would imagine, in doubt and confusion as to what his future could possibly look like.  Would he die as an old man in this foreign prison, never to see his family again?  


When his reputation as an interpreter of dreams landed him the "dream job" in Egypt, what must he have felt?  He'd already been put in a position of responsibility in Potiphar's house but had another great fall from grace as a result of the deception and false accusations of his master's wife, a woman scorned.  Could David believe that this time things would work in his favor?  His track record was pretty shaky!


He had obviously learned a lot in all those years of servitude and imprisonment - learned where to place his faith and trust.  His life had been redeemed, from the prison to prominence:  paraded through the streets as second-in-command, people bowing down to him and honoring him.  When was this going to come crashing down around him?  How could he help but wonder?  What if he hadn't heard God correctly and mis-interpreted those dreams?  What if, instead of speaking God's words, he spoke his own?  David serves Pharaoh through the seven years of plenty, storing up grain in the storehouses and preparing for the seven years of famine yet to come.  What if the plentiful years continued and he ended up with storehouses full of rotting grain?  What if he looked like a fool, or worse yet, a con man who wormed his way into Pharaoh's good graces?  


When we know the end of the story we can easily forget that these are real-life people who had to live out their experiences day by day, trusting in their faithful God to fulfill his promises.  They were just like us - often filled with worry and doubt, wondering how it would all end up.  But because Joseph and the other heroes of our faith ARE just like us, we can draw faith from their stories.  We need to remind ourselves that they probably did struggle with doubt and questions but God, again and again, proved himself faithful.  The seven years of famine happened just as God had foretold and the people were provided for because of God's provision through Joseph.  And that was only the beginning!  We can't miss the bigger picture, the greater blessing:  God's provision for his chosen people, his guiding hand as he moves his people into the land of Egypt and then through deliverance from  Egypt into the promised land.


And that story continues, one that we can't begin to see or imagine.  God's hand has brought us deliverance from the slavery of sin and into the promised land of his Kingdom.  Even when we wonder how our story will turn out, even when the darkness might seem to be "winning", our God is faithful and is bringing to completion his work on this earth.  We are part of that story.

Why do you say, O Jacob, 

and speak, O Israel, 

“My way is hidden from the LORD, 

and my right is disregarded by my God”? 

Have you not known? Have you not heard? 

The LORD is the everlasting God, 

the Creator of the ends of the earth. 

He does not faint or grow weary; 

his understanding is unsearchable. 

He gives power to the faint, 

and to him who has no might he increases strength. 

Even youths shall faint and be weary, 

and young men shall fall exhausted; 

but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; 

they shall mount up with wings like eagles; 

they shall run and not be weary; 

they shall walk and not faint.

(Isaiah 40:27; Isaiah 40:28-31 ESV)

Dreams

Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more. He said to them, “Hear this dream that I have dreamed: Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.” His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.  (Genesis 37:5-8 ESV)


The story of Joseph is fascinating.  Beyond the obvious trials and tribulations, successes and failures, sin and redemption aspects of the story are more subtle insights.  As is true with Scripture, we can read the same stories multiple times and discover, on our latest reading, something never before noticed. Consider the passage above and the very familiar story of Joseph.  


Joseph's brothers saw him as the spoiled, favorite son of their father and they hated him.  As if that weren't enough, he relates to them two dreams which depict his brothers bowing down to him.  Talk about adding insult to injury!  We know what happens next - they've had all they can stand and plot to be rid of their annoying brother.  Flash forward 11 years and Joseph is once again dealing with dreams - this time as interpreter for two fellow inmates in an Egyptian prison.  It earns him a reputation which eventually is reported to Pharaoh.  Joseph is called before the ruler to interpret his dreams.  


In both of these instances (the prisoners and Pharaoh) there is one striking difference between Joseph's responses in Egypt and his dream-telling as a teenager in Canaan.  At 17, Joseph's intention seems to be his own exaltation; as a much-humbled adult being held captive in Egypt, his intention is to glorify God, to listen for God's interpretation of these dreams.  The result?  Joseph doesn't seek his own glory yet God raises him up to be the second most powerful man in Egypt.


The lesson to us is clear on one level but there may be another message that can be overlooked.  Joseph's dreams concerning his brothers were, indeed, prophetic words from God.  As the story unfolds, his brothers do end up bowing before their brother, the high-ranking Egyptian official.  But perhaps it wasn't something that was meant to be publicly revealed at the time Joseph had the dream.  God had, indeed, given Joseph a glimpse into his plans but Joseph ran ahead of God, perhaps trying to make this glimpse of the future into a present reality. When have we been given a glimpse into God's plans only to jump in and try to shape, control or manage what we perceive to be our destiny?  Have we ever been tempted to lord it over our friends, family or associates if God is leading us into a position of leadership or responsibility?


God is sovereign and that sovereignty is a great mystery.  His plans and purposes are perfect. His timing is, indeed HIS timing -- not ours.  Joseph suffered as a result of his brothers' sinful response - their hatred and mistreatment.  But the years of suffering and imprisonment appeared to have had not only a humbling effect on Joseph but apparently shifted his focus from himself and his glory to the glory of God and obedience to his Lord. In Genesis 45:6, Joseph states, "It was not you who sent me here, but God."  What man intended for evil, God used for good, working his purposes and plans on a far grander scale than anyone could have imagined --- most especially, Joseph. 


In Matthew 23:12, Jesus says, "Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted."  Wait on the Lord, watch for his guidance.  What may seem to be an interminable wait, may very well be God's time of preparation and training for us in advance of a new ministry or opportunity.  

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, 

and do not lean on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge him, 

and he will make straight your paths.

(Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV)

A Mighty Fortress is Our God

In 2 Samuel, there is a list of the Mighty Men that battled with and for King David.  Their names are listed along with their deeds of great bravery and strength.  These men are remembered for their fierce loyalty to their king, their unimaginable tenacity in the fiercest battles.  One man "wielded his spear against eight hundred whom he killed at one time".  Another battled the Philistines "until his hand was weary, and his hand clung to the sword".  The other Israelites had fled the battle, this man stayed with his king and battled until he couldn't even let go of his sword, his hand was frozen in its grip. Incidents like these are listed throughout chapter 23.  These were incredibly brave and loyal warriors who fought to the bitter end, to victory for their king.  Their names are listed in the Scriptures to be remembered always.  They were heroes.  


What does that have to do with us in our 21st century world?  We can read the Old Testament for its history and lessons of the faith; but we also read it to understand spiritual truths for us, for the ways it points us to Jesus.  The battle we engage in as Christians may not look like hand-to-hand combat as in the days of King David, but our enemy is no less real and no less ruthless.  Our battles are no less demanding.  While we may not have battle scars that are visible or as a result of sword fights, we may suffer the scars of spiritual fatigue, depression, anxiety, stress or despair.  Those scars, while not necessarily of a physical nature, certainly take a toll on our physical bodies. King David's Mighty Men were willing to draw a line in the sand, so to speak, signifying that here is where we stand, here is where we fight.  


Are we willing to make a stand like that?  In Ephesians 6, Paul describes our weapons and protection for the battle in terms of armor, swords, shields, etc. all the while knowing that "we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."  The battle is real and it is costly.  I'm sure King David's warriors were exhausted - physically and emotionally spent after such incredible battles - but they were completely sold out to their king.  They lived to fight with and for their leader, to take a stand.  Paul exhorts us to be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.  Four times in that passage are we told to stand firm.  We are not left to our own devices in the battle against our enemy but we must be watchful and alert:   Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.  (1 Peter 5:8)


On a personal note, I have been engaged in a very difficult battle - a difficult, personal, painful situation that has left me battle-weary.  My "line in the sand" is to stand on God's word, to stand firm on what I believe to be true.  That is my battlefield and has been at the root of my current struggle. I went to bed last night feeling as if I could barely breathe from the stress of the situation and woke up this morning feeling as if a weight had been lifted off of me. I awoke this morning to a new day, a new energy, a new strength. During the night, while I slept, my ever-present Lord was ministering, restoring, freeing me and strengthening me.  This morning during my quiet time as I pondered this "renewal", I read Psalm 46.  It was one of my scheduled readings today, a "coincidence".  This is the verse that leaped off the page for me:  verse 5 -- God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns.  


If you are engaged in your own battle, feeling alone and cut off from God, know that his word is true, his promises are sure.  He will never leave you or forsake you.  God is [your] refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  (Psalm 46:1)  His eyes are always on his children; he's aware of your struggles, your pain, your weariness.  He will never leave you to limp through on your own - he IS your strength and your shield, your light and your guide.


If God is for us, who can be against us?  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,  nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 
(from Romans 8)

An Invitation

And he [Jesus] said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while."  Mark 6:31


Recently, I've had two wonderful opportunities to get away with Jesus for some rest, reflection and retreat.  The first was alone and the second was with the women of my church.  The first was more of a spur of the minute, gotta-get-away time and the second was a planned and organized retreat.  But the most important part of both was the chance to listen, pray and gain some perspective.  I was in dire need of some time to rest, to be still and know that He is God, to hear a word, a direction - to pray expectantly, waiting for answers - and I needed healing for my weary soul.  


Jesus invites us to be with him, to sit with him a while -- he has so much to share with us.  Sometimes, he speaks through silence. Maybe his voice is speaking to a place so deep in our spirit that we're not even aware and we just think it's silence.  But silence in God's presence is a powerful silence, a healing silence, a restoring silence and not to be feared or turned away from.  Perhaps silence prepares us for the word God has for us to hear or read - maybe silence is laying the foundation, preparing the "soil" for the holy "seeds" to be sown.  As the psalmist writes, I sought the Lord and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears (Ps. 34:4). Whether we hear through God's Word, rest in the silence, or hear that still, small voice speak to our hearts, God is faithful.  He will answer.   

• I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; i
  n the night also my heart instructs me.  
  I have set the LORD always before me; because 
  he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.  You 
  make known to me the path of life; 
  in your presence there is fullness of joy; 
  at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.  
  (Psalm 16:7-8, 11)
• You have said, "Seek my face."  My heart says to you "Your face, Lord, do I seek."  Psalm 27:8
• For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name's sake you lead me and guide me.   Psalm 31:3
• Oh taste and see that the Lord is good!  Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!   Psalm 34:8
• The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry.  When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.   Psalm 34:15, 17

Loved

I heard a word today that I needed to hear -- and I didn't realize how badly I needed to hear it until I did.  Our pastor preached today on Jesus' baptism (Matthew 3:13-17) and the words from the Father:  and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”  We were reminded that, because we are in Christ, our heavenly Father speaks those same words to us.  I am my Father's beloved child and he is well pleased with me.  Those words brought tears to my eyes.  I wanted to freeze time, sit with those words wrapping around me, and soak in that feeling.  


And, you know what?  I knew that already.  I learned it on a much deeper level through the experience of writing the study on John's Gospel.  The title of the study is the same title as this blog.  This was the message the Lord wanted to get across to me and to the women who participated in the study.  So why, today, did those words hit me with such force - albeit a gentle force?  


The "force" (for lack of a better word) with which those words impacted me?  That was grace.  That was the Lord reminding me that he knows when I struggle, when I have big, difficult questions, when I wonder if I'm walking out this walk of faith in a faithful manner.  That was the Lord looking at his daughter - the one that had a heavy heart this morning - and reminding her that she's loved.  And not "just" loved, but pleased with that same child.  Astonishing!  That loving grace is what enables us to keep on going, keep on putting one foot in front of the other, even and especially when the road is really rocky.  It's the grace that enables us to reach out to a brother or sister who's struggling or doubting and assure them that God looks at them as well, through his eyes of love.


Thank you, Thomas, for being a willing vessel for the Spirit to speak through this morning.  And thank you, Lord, for reminding me and everyone else that needs that same word, that you will never leave us or forsake us.  You are with us always, to the end of the age.  

New Year

For God is working in you giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.  Philippians 2:13 NLT


What will this new year bring?  What kind of plans does God have in mind for 2012?  Wish I knew!  Or maybe not.  In September I reflected on this very same verse but in a different context. (http://christsownforever.blogspot.com/2011/09/surprised-by-god.html)  I was looking back at seeds God had planted along the way to prepare me for writing Bible studies.  Now, on New Year's Eve, as I look ahead, I wonder what God has planned for my future - particularly the next 365 days (actually 366 days in this leap year).   


For the first time in many years, my Bible study groups finished one study without a clear idea of what the next one will be.  That seems significant in light of the fact that it breaks a pattern of so many years.  Will my time and availability be needed for something different?  Are there changes coming that will restructure my life?  Only God knows.  But I can rest in the knowledge that he is at work in me giving me the desire and the power to do what pleases him ---- whatever that is.   I'm not walking blindly into this new year hoping to stumble through the days and months, reacting and responding to whatever is thrown at me.  Instead, I know that I'm in a relationship with the One who knows my future and I will be prepared and guided along the way.  I can wait on the Lord expectantly and confidently knowing that whatever 2012 brings, I'm not alone and I'm not left to my own devices.  God is never surprised by what happens and if I'm willing to pay attention, listen and pray, I will hear his still, small voice speaking the words I need.  


The NIV translates Psalm 25:14 this way:  "The LORD confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them."  Those to whom God revealed his promises throughout the Scriptures were ordinary people, just like us.  They became significant or memorable because of God's relationship with them - not because of anything they did on their own or to their own glory.  I might begin 2012 with my New Year's resolutions, a new reading plan for my Bible reading, a new determination to make a good start with better habits; but whether I keep my resolutions or not, God holds my days in his hands. When we seek God's face, seek to glorify him through our lives and service, come to him with all our brokenness, wounds, sins and questions, he is there with open arms.  Being in relationship with the Living God is the most beautiful of relationships.  His promise is to never leave us or forsake us, to guide our steps and to make his will and purposes known in and through our lives - to confide in us.  


I pray that 2012 will be a year of new-found faith for those who doubt, a year of peace where there is unrest and chaos, a year of growing in the awareness of the love of the One who IS Love - the One who looks at us, his children, through his eyes of love and calls us his beloved.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, 

plans for welfare [shalom] and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 

Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 

You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.  

(Jeremiah 29:11-13 ESV)

Merry Christmas

How beautiful upon the mountains

are the feet of him who brings good news,

who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness,

who publishes salvation,

who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”

The voice of your watchmen—they lift up their voice;

together they sing for joy;

for eye to eye they see

the return of the LORD to Zion.

Break forth together into singing,

you waste places of Jerusalem,

for the LORD has comforted his people;

he has redeemed Jerusalem.

The LORD has bared his holy arm

before the eyes of all the nations,

and all the ends of the earth shall see

the salvation of our God.   (Isaiah 52:7-10 ESV)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.   (John 1:1-5 ESV)