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October Devotional
If you think that your family is dysfunctional ...
have you ever thought about what Joseph went through
in life? He was the youngest of a blended family and
had 11 older brothers with whom he had to compete,
contend, and keep up with through out his entire life.
One day, when his brothers were tormenting him in
the fields, Joseph just could not take any more of
their cruelty and went home and told his father, Israel
(Jacob).
Jacob tried to make it better by giving Joseph a brand-new,
multicolored, stylish coat but this only made the
situation worse and the other sons became more and
more jealous of their younger brother. Joseph then
had two dreams that both implied that his brothers
were some day going to have to honor him and bow down
to him. Well ... this was the straw that broke that
infamous camel's back and the brothers just could
not take anymore!
So, Jacob sent Joseph's brothers away to tend the
sheep in a distant town. After some time had passed,
Jacob sent Joseph to check on his brothers. Unfortunately,
their anger had not yet abated and when they saw Joseph
walking down that dusty road, they plotted to kill
Joseph!
Rueben, one of Joseph's older brothers, had a little
bit of sense and said, "Let's not kill him but
let's just throw him in this pit." So they threw
Joseph into a pit that had not even water in it and
then ripped his expensive coat off of his teen-age
body. As Joseph's brothers were eating lunch beside
the pit, a caravan of travelers was seen in the distance,
Judah, another one of the elder brothers, came up
with the brilliant idea of rather than leaving Joseph
for dead in the pit, instead to sell him to the band
of merchants. Joseph, the favorite son, was sold into
slavery and his brothers took his beautiful coat and
dipped it in the blood of a wild animal.
When the brothers of Joseph arrived back at the home
place, they showed their father the torn coat which
was now stained with blood. Jacob was inconsolable.
His grief was unimaginable as he mourned and wailed
over the death of his handsome, gifted son. (Genesis
37: 1-35)
"Meanwhile, the Midianites
sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, Pharoah's officer,
the captain of the bodyguard." Genesis 37:36
While Jacob was consumed with grief ... the brothers
were tormented with guilt ... and Joseph was incredulous
at the disastrous turn that his life had taken ...
there was a "meanwhile"
going on. God was changing and re-arranging Joseph's
circumstances from tragic to triumphant. God was preparing
to honor Joseph and to sit him in a place of significance
and honor. Joseph's brothers were not in charge of
his destiny - God can always overrule what man has
planned. What Satan meant for evil, God turned into
good! (Genesis 50:20)
Jacob, the 11 brothers and Joseph only saw what was
going on in their circumstances, but God had a plan
far different than what they were experiencing in
the natural.
God has a meanwhile in your
life as well. No matter how tragic your circumstances
may seem today - believe that God is changing and
re-arranging on your behalf. In the very worst moments
of our lives, God is setting us up for honor and significance!
If you have a hard time believing it, read the story
of Joseph in Genesis 37-50.
And ... never forget ... to thank God for your meanwhiles!!
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