Joseph was favored by his father, given dreams by God, hated and betrayed by his brothers, enslaved by the Egyptians, accused by his master's wife, imprisoned by the authorities, forgotten by his friends, and promoted by God. The favor of his father, and the dreams given him by God gave Joseph what he needed to endure the persecutions he received by the world. We have received a precious gift from God, the HOLY SPIRIT. God's spirit brings us comfort, help, power, and fellowship with God, as well as many other wonderful things. When the trials of life try to weigh us down, it is the Spirit of God that empowers us to walk on in the power of His might. There are those that are like Joseph today, and the dreams and favor of God is all that you have to hang on to right now, because the trials you are facing in this life. Let the comfort and power of the HOLY SPIRIT reside inside your life. You may be facing multiple trials right now, just like Joseph, but hang on to God's promises to you. Jesus said, "In this world you will have tribulations, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."
How is it that someone blessed, favored, and gifted like Joseph could keep having such rotten luck. There are those today that have God's Spirit all over your life, but it seems like one bad thing after another just keeps coming against you. I can imagine that every where that Joseph went that people were amazed at his gifting and favor, yet, they were equally amazed at the troubles and afflictions that he endured. Do you think that the prison warden had any idea who he had in prison when Joseph was falsely accused and sent there? The prison guard saw a truly gifted man, who he likely assumed was cursed by God because of his terrible fate. Those men in that prison had no idea that the second in command of all of Egypt was sharing the same cell with them. If they had known who Joseph was they would have treated him differently no doubt. Maybe others see you as just plain and ordinary. Maybe people wander of you are cursed of God because you have so many trials and tribulations. Maybe you have wandered the same thing yourself. The promise and the dream that God gave you has not been reversed. There are so many would be prophets that are quick to try to steal your God-given dream by saying that your promise has been cancelled, reversed, or aborted. Don't listen to the world be prophets who are jealous of you promise from God. You blessing is just around the corner. Joseph went from the prison to the palace in just ONE DAY. Get ready, God is going to restore your life quickly, your promotion can happen over night in just ONE DAY.
Why should we lose our dreams of a brighter future and God's enduring promises as we get older? Do you think that God is limited by our age, our health, our time left on this earth? NO none of these things limit God. Is he limited by our past, our failures, our lack of talent or opportunity? He is not limited by any of these things. Joseph had a dream and promise from God, and he was no closer to that promise in the prison as he was serving Potiphar. Yet, as each day passed, and he got older he was ONE day CLOSER to God's promise coming to pass. Are you getting older? Hey, it isn't time to sit down and give up. If you are getting older, you are closer now to receiving the promise, than you were when you got the promise. Did God give you a dream? Did he give you a promise? Don't let time, or old age strip you of your hope that God will fulfill all that he promised. No matter what you circumstance, you are closer to the promise now than you were before! Glory! Each day your are closer to the promise than you were the day before!
Joseph had a lot of time on his hands. Nothings worse than being in prison. But there were a few things he didn't have time for. He didn't have time for bitterness. He didn't have time for pitty parties. He didn't have time for blaming other people and pointing fingers. He didn't have time for revenge. He didn't have time for regrets. He kept his heart PURE by keeping the dream alive. Oh, someone needs to catch this today. Keeping your dreams ALIVE keeps your heart PURE. Without a vision, God's people perish. When we lose our dreams we lose our will to keep moving forward and pressing on in the good fight of the faith to see a brighter tomorrow. God wants to restore your dreams tonight, because someone has been lied to. Someone has been told that it is too late. That you done missed the boat, and your life is never going to be what you dreamed it would be in God. God took Joseph from destitute to second in Egypt in one day! What could God do in ONE day in your life?
There are would be prophets in the world that have a kindred spirit with Job's comforters. They assume that everyone that goes through trial and tribulation must have sinned, or lacked faith, or must be ignorant of God's word of blessing and prosperity. Joseph started out with such a promising future. He had his father's coat. He had God's dreams. He had a pure heart. But none of those things stopped tragedy from striking his life. But, there is hope. It was the tragedy that hit his life that POSITIONED him in prison, the place that God NEEDED for him to be, so that he could promote him to the second position in all of Egypt! If he had stayed in his father's house, he wouldn't have been in the place to be promoted to that position. His father's home wasn't even in Egypt at all. That trial that you are going through may have broken you to the point that your pillow has more tears in it than what you have left in your body, yet, God is getting you into position. You haven't missed your calling, your dream, your purpose...God is moving you into position through every fiery trial that you have faced.
God bless. Patty McCann
