GOD ALWAYS HAS A PLAN!

This is a good thing to remember – especially when things aren’t going so well.  All of us need to be reminded of this from time to time.

I just finished reading some of the chapters from Genesis that give Joseph’s story. Let’s review some facts to bring you up to speed:

·         Joseph [although the eleventh-born of four wives] is one of two sons born to Jacob from his true love – Rachel.

·         Genesis 37:3-4 [All quotes from TM unless otherwise noted]

Israel [Jacob] loved Joseph more than any of his other sons [twelve sons from four women] because he was the child of his old age. And he made him an elaborately embroidered coat. When his brothers realized that their father loved him more than them, they grew to hate him...

·         Israel used Joseph to check up on his brothers as they grazed their father’s flocks. According to 37:2,4, Joseph brought his father bad reports on them…they wouldn’t even speak to him.

·         On one of his visits to them in the fields, they threw him into a pit and then later sold him as a slave to a group of travelling Ishmaelites heading for Egypt. They stained his coat with blood and reported that he had been eaten by a wild animal. Of course this caused Israel to go into prolonged mourning over the loss of his precious son.

·         Upon arriving in Egypt, Joseph was purchased by Potifar – the captain of the Pharaoh’s bodyguards.  Because God was with him, Potiphar’s house prospered greatly!

Now this is a good point to remember a teaching that Jesus gave in Romans 8:28-29 

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God,

to those who are called according to His purpose.  [NASB}

·         Potiphar’s wife takes a liking to Joseph and invites him to respond to her sexually. He refuses to do so and ultimately runs from her – leaving his coat in her hands. She entrapped him and Potiphar believed her lie and sent Joseph into prison.

·         39:21,22 reports:

But there in jail GOD was still with Joseph…The head jailer put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners – he ended up managing the whole operation. 

·         Two prisoners have dreams that only Joseph can interpret. Joseph tells the Pharoah’s cupbearer that the meaning of his dream means that he will return to his former position. However, he interprets the head baker’s dream to mean that he will be beheaded. Within a few days both dreams are fulfilled just as Joseph had predicted. But the cupbearer never mentioned Joseph’s role to the Pharaoh.

·         Two years later the Pharaoh had a dream and his advisors couldn’t interpret it for him. The cupbearer remembered and mentioned Joseph! He was immediately brought before Pharaoh to hear and interpret his dreams. The meaning was clear to Joseph: Egypt would enjoy seven years of great prosperity followed by seven very lean years. He counseled Pharaoh to:

Look for a wise and experienced man and put him in charge of the country. Then Pharaoh needs to appoint managers throughout the country of Egypt to organize it during the years of plenty.  [41:33-34]

·         Pharaoh gives Joseph his signet ring and makes him a ruler in Egypt – second only to Pharaoh himself! Joseph organizes the country to prepare for the seven bountiful years – followed by the seven years of famine!

·         Eight years later, the famine begins to be felt in neighboring lands as well as Egypt! Jacob [Israel] sends ten of his sons to Egypt to purchase grain [he keeps his beloved, youngest – Benjamin – at home with him.]

·         When the ten sons of Israel [Jacob] arrive in Egypt, they are greeted by Joseph – who immediately recognizes them. Joseph puts Simeon in prison and sends the brothers home with instructions to come back bringing their youngest brother with them next time. Meanwhile, Joseph fills their sacks with grain and secretly puts the money back into the sacks with the grain.

·         The brothers are shocked when they find the money in the sacks of feed. They report to their father – Israel [Jacob] – all the details of their journey; including the fact that Simeon is in an Egyptian prison. Israel is crushed to think of sending Benjamin to Egypt; he fears that he will lose another son by doing so.

·         Eventually, the brothers are forced to return to Egypt to purchase more grain. Judah argues persuasively and convinces Israel to allow them to take Benjamin with them. Israel sends a double payment, balm and honey, spices and perfumes, pistachios and almonds with them as a gift from their area to this ruler in Egypt [not knowing that this ruler is Joseph – who Isaac thinks is dead]! He also prays over them before they head for Egypt!

·         When they arrive and Joseph sees that they have indeed brought Benjamin, he orders his servants to prepare a feast for all of them.  The brothers were terrified to be ushered into Joseph’s home; they are confident that they’re going to be turned into slaves. Simeon was brought from jail to join them! Joseph welcomed them and inquired as to the health of their father. As Joseph greeted Benjamin he was overwhelmed and ran from the room weeping! They feasted with Joseph facing all of them.

·         The next day they were sent on their way. Joseph instructed his servants to put their money back into their bags again. He also had them place his personal chalice in Benjamin’s bag. After they had left, Joseph had them pursued and accused them of stealing his chalice. It was found in Benjamin’s bag! They were forced to go back to the city. Arriving, they bowed down before Joseph! Judah spoke of their innocence and pleaded for Benjamin to return to his father! He volunteered to stay in Benjamin’s place out of mercy for their father.

·         Finally, Joseph breaks down and reveals himself to his brothers!

They were speechless – they couldn’t believe what they were hearing and seeing. [45:3]

·         After explaining his story to his brothers, he sent them to get their father and bring him to Egypt where Joseph could care for the entire family!

If you’ve read this far then you have shown patience and endurance. It is a long story with many twists and turns. 

Joseph has endured:

o   mistreatment by his older brothers

o   being the subject of envy

o   being misunderstood as a dreamer

o   being betrayed by ten of his brothers and sold into slavery

o   being carried far away to a foreign country

o   being falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife

o   being abruptly and unjustly thrown into jail

o   being forgotten by the cupbearer who could have helped him

o   being cut off from his beloved father and brother – Benjamin – for many hopeless years

But he had personally come to learn that GOD ALWAYS HAS A PLAN! And no human action can thwart God’s plan. It may take years to unfold, but if you remain faithful to God, He will work out His plan and restore your peace!

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How about you?

Do you believe that God always has a plan?

Are you staying faithful to God even though things are going poorly?

- even though you’ve been betrayed by family or friends?

- even though you’ve lost your job?

- even though you’ve been separated from your family?

- even though you’ve been completely isolated and cut off?

- even though you've lost everything/everyone who meant anything to you? 

Could it be that God has a bigger purpose for your life that simply takes time for Him to orchestrate?

Do you believe that God always has a plan?

Are you willing to endure hardship and delays in order to see His glorious ending?

We ALL pass through deep waters and desperate, hopeless times!

Are you determined to stay faithful to God through your tough times?

Joseph persisted  -  and God honored him immeasurably!

God doesn’t love Joseph any more than He loves you!

JACOB'S OTHER ELEVEN!

This is a follow-up to a previous blog titled: PARENTING – JACOB’S FAILURES WITH JOSEPH.  Reading this blog will have added meaning after reading the first article. 

To be one of twelve kids might have some challenges! 

My wife, Debbie, is the ‘first-born’ [her choice of words] of nine kids.  I’m confident that they would all admit to a certain amount of chaos, conflict and competition while growing up.  Yet, I have two observations I will make about them without hesitation:

First, they are VERY CLOSELY connected!  They have a family thread that is active and alive every day.  Intercommunication is a key to close relationships!  They clearly love and respect each other.  They vacation together, pray for one another, and socialize frequently.

Second, they have been a remarkable support system to Debbie and me throughout our many years of ministry!  They created a safe place for us where we could relax and be ourselves.  They’ve loved and supported us unconditionally through some pretty strenuous crises in our family and churches. 

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In our story from yesterday, Jacob clearly favored Joseph above his other eleven sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin.  These boys were born to Leah, Rachel’s handmaid – Bilhah, Leah’s handmaid – Zilpah, and Rachel. 

Joseph was clearly the first-born of Jacob’s true love – Rachel.  This was apparently the reason that Jacob loved him so much!

But what must it have been like for the other eleven?  It had to have had an impact for one of the youngest to be so revered and honored.  How must Reuben have felt?  After all, he was the true ‘first-born son’ that was deemed so important in this period. 

The biblical record doesn’t hide the tension between these men.  That’s a lot of testosterone to be driving rivalries, positioning and differing opinions.  In Genesis 37 – the chapter under consideration – we notice that Reuben and Simeon are key players.  They happen to be the two oldest.  There clearly was a rank that was observed in this family in spite of the favoritism toward Joseph.  Reuben apparently felt the pressure of being held to account if anything should happen to his younger brother. 

First-born children often grow up with an increased sense of responsibility.  They are commonly viewed as mini-parents as they exercise authority over younger siblings. 

The study of birth order is a fascinating exploration that can shed vital light on the development of personalities within a family system!  [BOOK RECOMMENDATION:  The Birth Order Book: Why You Are the Way You Are, by Dr. Kevin Leman]

In 1986, John Trent and Gary Smalley presented a book titled, THE BLESSING.  [I just checked: this book – and its updated versions – is still available today!] 

The book studies the Old Testament concept of passing on a blessing to one’s children and then extrapolates from these observations to suggest five vital factors involved in giving the blessing to your children.  They are:

·         Meaningful and appropriate touch,

·         A spoken message,

·         Attaching high value to the one being blessed,

·         Picturing a special future for him or her, and

·         An active commitment to succeed by fulfilling the blessing you have bestowed upon them.

[This book also includes a wonderful chapter on "How To Give the Blessing To Your Spouse!"]

In my experience as a pastor over four decades and holding an M.A. in counseling, I would make the following statement without hesitation:

If you’re only going to read one book on parenting,

make it THE BLESSING, by John Trent and Gary Smalley!

Every child needs to be thought of as special and a unique gift from God!  They must know that they hold a place of high value to their parents.  Open expressions of favoritism is damaging to siblings!  It creates problems that will travel with these children throughout their lifetimes! 

Children need to be celebrated!  Their achievements must be recognized and applauded – especially by parents!  They must know that they hold a treasured spot in your hearts! 

Speaking as a counselor, many of the adjustment issues of adults track back to feelings of inadequacy that were implanted during childhood!  A parent’s words weigh HEAVY!  As parents, we must be especially careful with the use of our words.  Shunning a child because of anger or disappointment leaves a mark that can change their entire course of direction! 

During our child-rearing years, I tried to listen to two radio programs every day:

Ø  Focus On The Family – then featuring the teaching/ministry of Dr. James Dobson

Ø  Family Life Today – then featuring the teaching/ministry of Dennis Rainey

These programs and their many guests provided daily inspiration and instruction on raising a family and keeping a marriage healthy and growing!  I bought and read their books as well as listening to their programs.  One of the largest sections of my personal library was the 'Parenting' section!  Later, Debbie and I had numerous opportunities to pass on what we had learned to other couples. 

Left to our own devices, we will inevitably fall back on the way we were raised in working with our own children.  Most of us would readily admit that the patterns and techniques of our parents were at least partially flawed.  We must be caring enough to make the effort to be well-informed parents.

Let’s not make the mistakes that Jacob made.  Regardless if you had great parents or disconnected parents, or absentee parents [for a host of possible reasons], or distracted parents, or overly strict parents – DO YOUR BEST TO BE THE BEST PARENT YOU CAN BE!   Your kids’ future health depends on it!

GOD'S FAVOR

When we speak of God's favor, we are not saying that God plays favorites!  Rather, we are talking about a person who chooses to live deliberately in such a way that is pleasing to God.  By exhibiting this faithfulness to God, He responds with favor in their lives - or, we might say, by blessing them!

God honors those who are intentionally faithful in living their lives in a way that is pleasing to Him!  

Do you want the favor and blessing of God in your life?  Live an honorable life heeding the scripture and regarding the principles and guidelines He has laid out so plainly for us in His Word!  

Joseph's storyline may be the best illustration of this in the Bible.

He is an innocent boy who is a bit too self-focused when his brothers fake his death and sell him to a group of traders heading for Egypt.  When they arrive, Joseph is sold to a man named Potiphar who oversees the Pharoah's household.  

As it turned out, GOD was with Joseph and things went very well with him.  He ended up living in the home of his Egyptian master.  His master recognized that GOD was with him, saw that GOD was working for good in everything he did.  [Genesis 39:2-3  TM]

This is a picture of the favor of God!

Many are familiar with this story.  Potiphar's wife tries repeatedly to seduce Joseph, but he stands strong seeking to honor Potiphar and God!  Eventually, she grabs him by the coat and insists that he sleep with her.  He leaves his coat in her hand and runs from the house.  Jilted, she screams and claims that he tried to rape her.  Potiphar comes quickly and is naturally furious - believing his wife's report.  He places Joseph in the jail that holds the king's prisoners.  

But there in jail GOD was still with Joseph:  He reached out in kindness to him;  he put him on good terms with the head jailer.  The head jailer put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners - he ended up managing the whole operation.  The head jailer gave Joseph free rein, never even checked on him, because GOD was with him;  whatever he did GOD made sure it worked out for the best.   [Genesis 39:21-23  TM]

Wouldn't you like to have that kind of favor working in your life?

Joseph's life is not the only example of God's favor;  there are many others.  When's the last time you read Psalm 1?

Oh, the joys of those who do not follow evil men’s advice, who do not hang around with sinners, scoffing at the things of God. But they delight in doing everything God wants them to, and day and night are always meditating on his laws and thinking about ways to follow him more closely.

They are like trees along a riverbank bearing luscious fruit each season without fail. Their leaves shall never wither, and all they do shall prosper.

But for sinners, what a different story! They blow away like chaff before the wind. They are not safe on Judgment Day; they shall not stand among the godly.

For the Lord watches over all the plans and paths of godly men, but the paths of the godless lead to doom.   [TLB}

GOD, HOW COULD YOU LET ALL THIS BAD STUFF HAPPEN TO ME?

Remember the story of Joseph from the book of Genesis?

He was Jacob's eleventh son - his favorite.  Jacob even gave him a colorful coat as a sign of his affection.  Joseph's half brothers hated him.

Joseph was immature.  God was giving him very revealing dreams.  Joseph, unwisely, shared them with his family.  The dreams indicated that Joseph would rule over his family.

His brothers sold him to slave traders.  He was taken to Egypt.  One of Pharaoh's servants purchased him.  Joseph served with excellence and honored God.  His owner prospered because of Joseph's presence!

Falsely accused of rape, Joseph was put in prison.  While there, the chief jailer recognized Joseph's ability and put him in charge of the whole prison. 

Interesting circumstances finally brought Joseph before the Pharaoh to interpret his dreams.  Pharaoh discerned Joseph's wisdom and made him second-in-command throughout all Egypt!  The whole nation benefited from Joseph's wisdom and discipline!

APPLICATION
It didn't matter where Joseph was, people were blessed!  He was determined to be a blessing in every circumstance of life!  He didn't waste time blaming God for bad things that had happened to him!  He simply honored God wherever he was!  And wherever he was, the people around him prospered and were blessed!

Are you wasting time being angry with God because things haven't gone the way you expected or wanted them to?  If so, you might want to consider a change of attitude.  Maybe God has you right where He wants you!  Maybe God expects you to shine where you are! 

Amazingly, Joseph didn't hold a grudge against his brothers for selling him into slavery:   (Genesis 50:20 LB)

As far as I am concerned, God turned into good what you meant for evil, for He brought me to this high position I have today so that I could save the lives of many people.

And remember, God didn't love Joseph any more than He loves you!