Genesis 37 begins the story of Joseph. Next to Christ Himself, he is the best example of a godly man in the bible. Many refer to him as a type of Christ because there is never anything bad recorded about him. Like Jesus, he was sold, he was envied, he was hated because of his dreams and his words, he was abused, mistreated, falsely imprisoned, but ultimately elevated to a glorious position.
Joseph teaches us many lessons. In the next few weeks we’ll see how from Joseph’s life we can learn how to: Overcome envy, remain loyal to rightful authority, reject peer pressure, face adversity, handle prosperity, resist temptation, see the good even in the bad, plan for the future, forgive those who wrong us, trust God in every situation, care and provide for his family, handle power, live a holy life in a pagan environment, see God’s hand through all circumstances, overcome grief, handle rejection, and the list could go on.
The most interesting thing about Joseph is that he saw God at work in his life even in his dreams. To Joseph, nothing was a coincidence. God’s hand, His presence, dominated every area of Joseph’s life. He know that God is in control over everything. We need to remember that also.
Max Lucado says: We need to hear that God is still in control. We need to hear that it’s not over until he says so. We need to hear that life’s mishaps and tragedies are not a reason to bail out. They are simply a reason to sit tight. Corrie ten Boom used to say, “When the train goes through a tunnel and the world gets dark, do you jump out? Of course not. You sit still and trust the engineer to get you through.” …Next time you’re disappointed, don’t panic. Don’t jump out. Don’t give up. Just be patient and let God remind you he’s still in control. It ain’t over till it’s over.
Joseph will help us remember that God is in control.