Verse of the day: Genesis
41:50-52 And to Joseph
were born two sons before the years of famine came, whom Asenath, the daughter
of Poti-Pherah priest of On, bore to him. 51 Joseph called the name
of the firstborn Manasseh: “For God has made me forget all my toil and
all my father’s house.” 52 And the name of the second he called Ephraim:
“For God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.”
How
many of us, after going through so much in our lives, from being enslaved, to
being falsely imprisoned, and loosing so many years of our lives, would not be
bitter, angry, and a complete mess? Sadly, I believe that there would be some
who claim to know Jesus personally who would end up this way. It is the
condition that we would expect a nonbeliever to end up in, and not a true follower
of Jesus. What may have seemed like wasted years, were really not wasted years
at all. From the time that Joseph was betrayed, and sold, by his brothers, to
this time period when he is now second in command of all Egypt, God used those
years to be productive in preparing Joseph for just this moment in time. I am
willing to guess that any one of us, after suffering similar circumstances,
would lose hope of ever being elevated to a position of power and prestige, let
alone be blessed with a family. Yet, after all the suffering and turmoil in
Joseph’s life, God did just that. In the years of plenty, God not only provided
for Egypt, but He also provided for His servant Joseph. He provided him with a
wife and children, thereby making him fruitful in his own household as well, and
helping him to heal from all the turmoil that God allowed in his life (as
indicated by the names of Joseph’s sons). How many of us, knowing that a famine
was coming, would actually plan on having children and growing a family? In our
own wisdom, and lack of faith, we would be planning to have children only after
the seven years of famine (if we had the knowledge that God had given Joseph). Even
in this Joseph showed his faith and trust in God. There are things that we can
learn from these fruitful and joyful events in Joseph’s life. Young people, you
need not rush to start a family. By this I mean that you do not need a spouse
to make you complete. As born again believers, our satisfaction, and happiness,
should be grounded in Jesus Christ, first, and foremost. Too many young, and
older, Christians rush to get into relationships that do not end well because
they are relationships that violate God’s command to avoid being unequally
yoked (2 Corinthians 6:14). Others look to find a spouse, or get involved in an
intimate relationship, because they feel lonely and have had a difficult life,
and meet someone who treats them nice because the relationship is new. Once the
honeymoon period is over and reality sets in, the relationship goes sour. Sadly,
some get involved in relationships where they compromise their purity for the
sake of being in a relationship, and ruin their lives when they suffer from
sexually transmitted diseases or unwanted pregnancies. Why rush when God can
lead us to the person who will be our perfect mate? It may even be that God
desires for some of us to remain single, and serve Him as He leads us to serve
Him. We must dismiss this myth that all Christians are supposed to be married.
Let God dictate for us, and let us just serve Him until He shows us otherwise. Next,
we see that God not only provided Joseph with a family, but also prepared his
family’s provision long before the famine arrived. My question then that I ask
is, “Why do we worry about where our provision will come from?” Joseph’s
priority in life was to be faithful to God, and live a life of integrity that
honored God. God honored those efforts and not only elevated Joseph, but also
provided for him even in the midst of a seven-year famine. Matthew 6 clearly
tell us that we should not worry; verses 25-34 remind us that we are to seek
the kingdom of God, because God will take care of our clothing, shelter, and sustenance.
The priority in every Christian’s life, and the source of primary satisfaction
in life, should always be our relationship with, and service to, the Lord;
beyond that, He will fulfill, and meet, all our needs as He fulfills His plan
for our lives.
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