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"But the LORD was with Joseph."
(Genesis 39:21)
In Dr. Charles Stanley's message entitled "The Dark Moments in our Life", he uses one primary biblical example of an individual who experienced great heartaches and difficulties but persevered and came out even better. Stanley did not use the story of Job, as one might have expected; rather, he taught on the life of Joseph. You can watch this message online; it is the 7th one in his 30 Life Principles series. As a pastor, I listened with much respect as Stanley summarized the life of Joseph without using any notes! I have heard that Stanley spent many hours in preparation for his sermons. He preached with such ease and confidence because he had spent a lot of time preparing for the sermons he would deliver.
Stanley does a great job recapping the life of Joseph, whose story is covered in Genesis 37-50. I have preached two series of sermons on Joseph. He is one of my favorite characters in the Bible. Stanley hits the highlights of his life beginning with Joseph as a 17-year-old, the youngest of his 10 brothers. Joseph's trial began when he was 17 and lasted until he was 30. Unfortunately, his brothers hated him, and they were jealous of him. He was his father's favorite, as evidenced by the coat of many colors given to him by Jacob. Joseph did not help himself when he told his brothers of his dream where his sheave stood erect, and his brothers gathered around and bowed down to him. He also shared about another dream. This time the sun, moon, and stars bowed down to him. After hearing this dream, even his father Jacob rebuked him. Three times the Bible says that Joseph's brothers hated him. They were sick and tired of him and decided that they would kill him. Their plan was to murder him and then tell their father he was killed by a wild beast. But they decided to throw Joseph in a pit and then sell him into slavery and make a little money off him. Yes, they hated him.
Can you imagine the trauma of this event in young Joseph's life? He was separated from his parents with no prospect of getting back home. While in Egypt, he became a slave when Potiphar, the bodyguard of Pharaoh, bought him. Joseph made the best of a horrible situation. He worked hard and was promoted by his boss. Potiphar puts his household under this teenager's authority. Joseph was in a tough place, in faraway land, with turmoil and anxiety, but he had a relationship with the LORD, and this made all the difference! Three times in Genesis 39, the Bible says that the LORD was with Joseph. Verse 3 states, "And his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD made all he did to prosper in his hand."
If you know the Lord, then I have great news for you: God is with you! You may not feel like He is right now, but He is. He has a plan for your life, just like He had a plan for Joseph's life. His plan for you and all His children is not to prevent dark seasons from coming to us but to use those times to make us the men and women of God He wants us to be.
More about Joseph tomorrow.
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