JOSEPH LOVED WHERE HE WAS. HE RECOGNIZED HIS TIME.
PERSONAL NOTE: I WORKED FOR 20 YEARS AS A SR. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. THE ONLY AFRICAN AMERICAN TO HOLD THAT POSITION. I WAS HATED FOR 20 YEARS. MY NAME WAS CURSED FOR 20 YEARS. THROUGH TEARS, I RECEIVED BONUSES AND PROMOTIONS EVERY YEAR BECAUSE OF MY EXEMPLARY PERFORMANCE.
Genesis 39 1AND JOSEPH was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain and chief executioner of the [royal] guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there. 2But the Lord was with Joseph, and he [though a slave] was a successful and prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. 3And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all that he did to flourish and succeed in his hand.
wait! what was that???
But the Lord was with Joseph, and he [though a slave] was a successful and prosperous man; and he
was in the house of his master the Egyptian. ...the Lord made all that he did to flourish and succeed in his hand.
YOUR SUCCESS AND PROSPERITY DO NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH YOUR PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES.
DO YOU KNOW THAT YOU ARE "ALWAYS" SUCCESSFUL AND PROSPEROUS?
THE FACTS OF JOSEPH'S LIFE: 1) HE WAS A SLAVE. HE DID NOT HAVE CONTROL OVER WHAT HE COULD DO OR WHERE HE COULD GO. HE WAS OWNED. 2) HE WAS AWAY FROM HIS FATHER WHO LOVED HIM AND CELEBRATED HIM. 3) HE COULD NOT OUTWARDLY EXPRESS HIS LOVE FOR GOD.
THINK ABOUT: THE JOB YOU DISLIKE. THE RESPONSIBILITIES THAT YOU DISLIKE. THE POSITION IN CHURCH THAT YOU DO NOT HAVE...
6And [Potiphar] left all that he had in Joseph's charge and paid no attention to anything he had except the food he ate.
BUT - JOSEPH WAS SUCCESSFUL AND PROSPEROUS AND THE LORD MADE EVERYTHING THAT JOSEPH TOUCHED TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
THINK ABOUT: JOSEPH DID NOT BECOME SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE HE WAS AN ENTITLED KINGS KID. HE SUCCEEDED BECAUSE HE DID WHAT HE WAS TOLD TO DO HOW HE WAS TOLD TO DO IT. HIS OBEDIENCE TO HIS MASTER ELEVATED HIM.
Now Joseph was an attractive person and fine-looking. 7Then after a time his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph, and she said, Lie with me. 8But he refused and said to his master's wife, See here, with me in the house my master has concern about nothing; he has put all that he has in my care. 9He is not greater in this house than I am; nor has he kept anything from me except you, for you are his wife. How then can I do this great evil and sin against God?
HERE COMES TROUBLE! DOES TROUBLE MEAN THAT IS IS NOT YOUR TIME? RELIGION SAYS THAT EVERYTHING IS SUPPOSED TO BE LOVELY? THE BIBLE SAYS THAT THE SATAN GOES ABOUT AS A ROARING LION SEEKING WHO HE MAY DEVOUR. WHEN TROUBLE COMES YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE DEVOURED.
SATAN WANTS YOU TO FORGET THAT YOU BELONG TO GOD. IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO BE FAITHFUL TO ANOTHER PERSON. YOU MUST BE FAITHFUL TO GOD. IT YOU TRUST IN THE PASTOR, THE EMPLOYER, THE FRIEND OR THE SPOUSE, YOU ARE ALREADY IN TROUBLE...
10She spoke to Joseph day
after day, but he did not listen to her, to lie with her or to be with her. 11Then
it happened about this time that Joseph went into the house to attend to his
duties, and none of the men of the house were indoors. 12And
she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me! But he left his garment in
her hand and fled and got out [of the house].13And when she
saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled away,
DON'T WAIT AROUND TO ENJOY THE TEMPTATION OR TO SEE HOW CLOSE YOU CAN GET TO THE FIRE BEFORE YOU GET BURNED
14She called to the men of her household and said to them, Behold, he [your master] has brought in a Hebrew to us to mock and insult us; he came in where I was to lie with me, and I screamed at the top of my voice. 15And when he heard me screaming and crying, he left his garment with me and fled and got out of the house. 16And she laid up his garment by her until his master came home. 17Then she told him the same story, saying, The Hebrew servant
SIDE NOTE: THE EMPHASIS ON "HEBREW" WAS INTENDED TO DEAL A DECISIVE BLOW TO JOSEPH BECAUSE OF THE HATRED THAT THE EGYPTIANS FELT FOR THE HEBREW RACE.
GENESIS 43:32 And
[the servants] set out [the food] for [Joseph] by himself, and for [his
brothers] by themselves, and for those Egyptians who ate with him by
themselves, according to the Egyptian custom not to eat food with the Hebrews;
for that is an abomination to the Egyptians.
17Then she told him the same story, saying, The Hebrew servant whom you brought among us came to me to mock and insult me. 18And when I screamed and cried, he left his garment with me and fled out [of the house].19And when [Joseph's] master heard the words of his wife, saying to him, This is the way your servant treated me, his wrath was kindled.
SHE REMINDED HER HUSBAND THAT HE WAS DEALING WITH A SERVANT, A SLAVE, A HEBREW. HE FORGOT THE GOOD THAT JOSEPH BROUGHT TO HIM.
20And Joseph's master took him and put him in the prison, a place where the state prisoners were confined; so he was there in the prison. 21But the Lord was with Joseph, and showed him mercy and loving-kindness and gave him favor in the sight of the warden of the prison.
FROM A SLAVE TO A PRISONER? THIS IS A GOOD THING? IN SPITE OF BEING IN PRISON, GOD BLESSED JOSEPH. POTIPHAR DID NOT PUT IN A GOOD WORD FOR JOSEPH. NO ONE LOOKED OUT FOR HIM. THE BLESSING CAME FROM GOD!
22And the warden of the prison committed to Joseph's care all the prisoners who were in the prison; and whatsoever was done there, he was in charge of it. 23The prison warden paid no attention to anything that was in [Joseph's] charge, for the Lord was with him and made whatever he did to prosper.
JOSEPH DID NOT MISS A STEP. HE CONTINUED TO BE SUCCESSFUL AND PROSPEROUS. HE HAD A SPIRIT OF EXCELLENCE. "I WILL GO ABOVE AND BEYOND. I WILL BE THE BEST. I WILL HELP YOU TO SHINE." I WILL WORK FOR GOD AND HE WILL PROSPER WHAT EVER I DO AND CAUSE ME TO BE JOYFUL IN PLEASING HIM.
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