The truth is that, for those of us who have a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ, God is with us each and every day. How often we need to be reminded of that!
I thought about the Biblical account of a man named Joseph...not the one from the New Testament, but rather the one from the Old Testament. You remember him. You can read all about him in Genesis 37 - 50. He was:
- The son who is loved most
- The brother who is sold
- The servant who is set-up and accused
- The prisoner who is forgotten
- The dreamer who is restored
- The leader who is resourceful
- The ruler who is secretive
- The dead one who is now alive
- The man who is forgiving
His was one crazy life...full of ups and downs, twists and turns, explainable and unexplainable actions...yet, through it all, one constant remained - God was with Joseph!
It is stated for us throughout his account:
"The LORD was with Joseph and he prospered..." (Genesis 39:2)
"When his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes..." (Genesis 39:3-4)
"...the LORD blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the LORD was on everything that Potiphar had..." (Genesis 39:5)
"But while Joseph was there in prison, the LORD was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor..." (Genesis 39:20-21)
"...the LORD was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did." (Genesis 39:23)
Even Pharaoh noticed it and said,
"Can we find anyone like this man (Joseph), one in whom is the Spirit of God?" (Genesis 41:38)
Joseph must have wondered what was going on in his crazy life, but he responded with an interesting attitude...it was an attitude of total trust and obedience. He must have believed and seen that God was with him. We never read of him complaining, whining, or crying about his circumstances. There is never a question that he utters towards God. Rather, there is a confidence in his God and the belief that God is working everything out for His purpose.
Listen to what he says to his brothers when he finally reveals himself to them:
"...do not be distressed and...angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you." (Genesis 45:5)
"But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant in earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance." (Genesis 45:7)
"So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God." (Genesis 45:8)
"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." (Genesis 50:20)
Referring to how Joseph could do this, I heard Andy Stanley ask the question, "How does someone live when they realize that God is with them?" I think the answer is, just how Joseph lived!
You see, as someone else has said, "This is not a story of the success of Joseph; rather it is a story of God's faithfulness to His promises."
Your life and my life is very similar to Joseph's...it is filled with ups and downs, twists and turns, and those explainable and unexplainable actions. So, how will you live when you realize that God is with you? How will I?
Sitting in the seat of this wild ride that we have been on for the last 2 years, I have had to ask...how will I live when I realize that God is with me? I have had to choose to be obedient and have total trust in my God who has said:
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28)
You can choose this as well - because you see - this is not a story of the success of __________ (insert your name here); rather it is a story of God's faithfulness to His promises!
Your life and all that is occurring in it is telling a story about God and how He is faithful to all that He has promised to those of us that are following Him. So live well!
"Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved."
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