The Highs and the LowsSample

Joseph (The Highs)

Yesterday we looked at Joseph's experience of betrayal from those he held close to him, but that isn’t where the story ends. For most of us, if we were betrayed or badly let down by a friend or family member, it would be easy to go into self-protection mode, thinking that we need to ‘look after number 1’.

But that isn’t what Joseph did at all. In fact, despite being far away from everything he knew, Joseph found favour with people in positions of power towards him, and we see the phrase “Joseph found favour” repeated multiple times.

Once Joseph was sold into slavery, he sought to please the Lord in everything he did whilst honouring all of those who he had ended up serving. Joseph had found favour with Potiphar (his new master) in Egypt because the Lord was with him. However, just as things were starting to look up for Joseph, In chapter 39, we see him once again betrayed. One day, while Joseph was alone in the house with his Master’s wife, she called him to come to bed with her as she had tried on numerous occasions. But Joseph refused and ran away.

Joseph may have wanted to get his own back on Potiphar by saying yes to his wife’s requests. But instead, he says, “How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?”. What do we notice here? Joseph’s first response isn’t to look forward at his situation but upward – to God. Sometimes when people hurt us, we desire to think about how we can get back at them. Like on a football pitch, when someone fouls you, and you want to get up and hack them down, or at school when someone has been spreading rumours about you, you do the same. This isn’t the response Joseph took. When we realise that the people in front of us aren’t who we’re trying to please but God, we can find a new peace because although their favour changes, God’s remains the same.

For Joseph, this constant desire to please God over people allowed others to see ‘the real Joseph.’ Everywhere he went, he was increasingly trusted, to the point that the Pharaoh of one of the most powerful nations in the ancient world (Egypt) raised him out of prison and into the palace as second in command. Joseph continued using the gifts God had placed in him, which led to him being reunited with his brothers who had betrayed him all those years ago, ultimately forgiving them. Joseph recognised the wrong his brothers had done toward him, but he still chose to forgive them despite having all the power to return the favour. That is the exact heart that we are called to have!

Questions

Q: Is there anyone that I need to forgive?

Q: Are my actions fuelled by my resentment toward others or my love for God?

Prayer

Father, I thank you that you are always with me during the good times and the bad. I pray that you would fill me with a spirit of love rather than vengeance and that everything I do would honour you. I pray that I’d look up to you rather than forward at my situation and that you would fill me with a heart to forgive, just as you have forgiven me.

Amen