You love Jesus, yet it feels like your life is one disaster after another. It's confusing. What's going on? Learn one of life's deepest lessons from Joseph. And grow from there.
Joseph was the eleventh of Jacob’s twelve sons and his father’s favorite.
Jacob gave 17-year-old Joseph a robe of many colors – a constant reminder to his brothers that Joseph was his favorite. But the final straw was when Joseph told his family of his dreams where his brothers and their father bowed down to him. Joseph’s older half-brothers were outraged.
The brothers sold Josph to a caravan going to Egypt. Joseph was sold as a slave to Potiphar, the captain of Pharoah’s guard. Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce Joseph. He refused. Furious, , she accused Joseph of trying to rape her.
After eleven years of faithful service, Joseph was wrongly imprisoned for rape. At that point in his life, it would have been easy for Joseph to believe God didn’t care about him at all. It seemed that no matter what he did, life just kept getting worse for him.
You may think that is your life right now. Wait! Joseph’s story isn’t over. Neither is yours.
After God gives you a dream for your life, you can expect opposition. And you can expect God to be there with you, in the prison of your adversity.
Joseph helped Pharoah’s Cupbearer interpret a dream when he was in prison. After the cupbearer’s release, Pharoah had a dream. The cupbearer told Pharaoh about Joseph. Joseph explained Pharaoh’s dream: 7 years of good harvest would be followed by 7 years of famine. Joseph then gave Pharaoh a plan to prepare for the famine. Pharaoh was impressed. He made Joseph second in command of all of Egypt.
During the famine, Joseph’s older brothers came to Egypt to buy grain. Finally, Joseph’s family joined him in Egypt – over twenty-three years after his brothers betrayed him and sold him into slavery. God’s people were saved from a deadly famine by Joseph.
Joseph’s dreams came true, but only after his character grew.
Psalm 105:19 (NLT)
Until the time came to fulfill his dreams, the LORD tested Joseph’s character.
Psalm 105:19 (AMP)
… the word of the Lord tested and refined him.
Joseph was God’s provision for Israel. Joseph would save his people. But Joseph, the spoiled, favorite son of an overindulgent father wasn’t much use to God. He didn’t have the character yet to become the man God needed him to be.
God will be in you in the darkest times of your life, developing your character to overcome adversity and fulfill His dreams for your life.
This is an excerpt from the full video of lessons from Joseph’s life: “Overcoming Adversity to Make God’s Dream For You Come True" If you liked this, watch the whole video.