Grace 2023 Conference #3: The Witness of Joseph in Challenging Times

Overview

God’s grace is a living reality: at every turn in Joseph’s life, when it looked like it was not going to turn out in his favor, God showed up again and again, and he does the same for us. In this Grace 2023 Conference session the speaker walks through Genesis 37, 39, 41 and 42, following Joseph from the pit to Potiphar’s house, from the prison to the throne of Egypt, and stopping each time on the phrase the record keeps repeating: the Lord was with Joseph. Along the way she brings in Romans 8:31, Ephesians 6:12, Proverbs 3:5-6, 2 Corinthians 9:8, Galatians 6:9 and Joshua 1:9, and tells three stories from her own life of God coming through when the situation looked bleak.

Transcript

God’s Grace Showed Up for Joseph Again and Again

Good morning. God bless you. And doesn’t he take such good care of us? What a wonderful way to start our morning. So I’m sure thankful and privileged for the opportunity to be here this morning with all of your beautiful faces to share a little bit about God’s grace in Joseph’s life.

And you know, when I found out I’d be teaching this topic, I was super excited, because I’ve seen God’s grace abound in my life in recent years more than I ever have. And when we look at the record of Joseph, we’ll see how at every turn, when it looked like it wasn’t going to turn out in his favor, God showed up again and again, just like he does in our lives. We don’t always know how, we don’t always know when, but we do know that he’s going to show up.

And the record of Joseph is a wonderful witness and a reminder of Romans 8:31, if God be for us, who can be against us? And what I hope to point out to you today is that regardless of the circumstances that we’re facing and the situations we’re facing, God is, with the capital A, always with us. He truly is our partner in this life, in all walks of our life, in our relationships, in our employment, in whatever we’re doing. God is our partner, and he can exalt us when it seems as though the situation is bleak. His grace is a living reality in our lives.

So let’s start out in Genesis 37 and let’s read a little bit about this wonderful man Joseph.

Genesis 37: Joseph’s Dreams and His Brothers’ Hatred

So in Genesis 37 verse 2 it starts, These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report. Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colors. And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.

And verse 5, And Joseph dreamed a dream, and told it to his brethren: and they hated him yet the more. And it’s interesting, it wasn’t just a dislike, it was hate.

And verse 6, And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed: For behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf. And his brethren said unto him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more. That’s three times they talk about this hate. And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.

And he dreamed yet another dream, in verse 9, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more: and behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me. And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou dreamest? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth? And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.

So he had 11 brothers, and his father favored him more, and the brothers didn’t appreciate it.

It kind of reminds me, I don’t know if any of you guys have watched it, the Real Housewives of whatever. They have a Real Housewives of Salt Lake, and with friends like them, you absolutely do not need an enemy. It’s not a good thing, and this sounds a little bit like that.

Thrown Into the Pit and Sold Into Egypt

And the record continues that they went out to feed the flock, as one of their duties, and while they were out there they conspired to kill him, but instead they decided we’ll just throw him in a pit. So murder, pit. We’ll just launch him into a pit.

And so in verse 23 it says, And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stripped Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colors that was on him; And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it. So they stripped his coat, and as previously mentioned, they were planning to kill him, but instead they decided to sell him.

So, you know, not a great day for Joseph. But his brother wasn’t aware of the plan, and so he went back to check on him in the pit. And in verse 29 it says, And Reuben returned unto the pit; and behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes. He was sorrowful. He was upset that his brother wasn’t there.

So then they devised a plan. Okay, these guys set out to kill him. Okay, we’re not going to kill him, and put him in the pit. Okay, he’s not in the pit, he’s been sold. And so they developed a plan, and in verse 35 of 37 it says, And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, talking about their father. So they went back, they took the coat to his father, said that he was killed, there’s blood on this coat. The father is traumatized that his son is gone. And so they comfort him, but he refused to be comforted, and said, For I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him. So he was going to mourn for the rest of his life for this son that he thought was dead.

The Lord Was With Joseph in Potiphar’s House

So now let’s pick it up in chapter 39 verse 1. And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmaelites, who he had been sold to, which had brought him down thither. And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. That’s the first record of the Lord being with him.

So all through these things, you know, we feel sorry for ourselves when we have a challenge, you know, that something’s inconvenient. We’re stuck in traffic. We’re late for something. We feel sorry for ourselves, but the Lord was with him, and I love that. That’s the reminder right away that he wasn’t alone. Even though the situation seemed bleak, he was not alone, as we’re not alone in the challenges we face.

Sometimes we feel alone, we feel isolated, but God is always with us. And in verse 2 it says, or verse 3, And his master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand. So he saw that there was something different about Joseph, just as people see in our lives. Sometimes we go into situations, we’re dealing with things, people see something different. They see that the Lord is with us. They may not know that’s what it is, but they know that something’s different, and so that’s a witness to the world that we live in, that we can share God’s grace.

And so although, you know, although it looked bad, it looked rough, God continued to lift him. And it’s amazing how many times that people will recognize this in our lives. And it may not be those specific words, that the Lord’s with us, but they recognize that there’s grace, that there’s something in our lives moving. That’s a blessing.

And the Lord was with Joseph. And how many times, as we heard today in the manifestations, do we hear that God will never leave us? He’ll never forsake us. He reminds us constantly, because there are things that come up that can cause us to forget.

I’ll admit it. There’s days when I’m on the road to figuring it out myself. I’m sure none of you guys do that. I’m sure that you all turn to God right away when you have an issue. Well, there’s sometimes what I’m gonna get on the, I’ve got this figured out. What am I gonna do? I’m gonna work to get this figured out. And then a little while later I remember, wait a minute, let me get God involved.

And God’s grace is ever-present with us. If you look at verse 4, And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand. So although it looked like Joseph was, you know, in a bad situation, God exalted him, just like he’ll do for us. God’s grace is ever-present in our lives.

Potiphar’s Wife and the Garment Left Behind

But then if you look at verse 7, so we’re in 39 verse 7, you’re gonna see Mr. Tribulation shows up again. It’s, you know, it’s not as though Joseph hasn’t already had a tough time, but God took care of him. And here comes Mr. Tribulation in the form of a woman.

So look at verse 7. And it came to pass after these things, that his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me. Verse 8, But he refused, and said unto his master’s wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in this house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand; There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?

And it came to pass, in verse 10, as she spake to Joseph day by day. So she’s nagging it, she’s coming after him. Come on, Joseph. Come on, Joseph. He’s like, no. No, that’s wrong. Not gonna do that. Come on, Joseph.

And verse 11, And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business. He had to go to the bathroom. And let’s see, where is it? Where am I? Okay. Sorry, I use my iPad normally. I don’t use these little words in my Bible. So I’m looking at this going, I think I need the readers. Yeah, so there we go. Okay, where am I? Okay, thank you God, you guys are so good.

And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within. And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me. So she was not giving up. So she grabs him by his garment, and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got out of there. He’s like, oh, no, you don’t, dearie, I’m out of here. But a piece of clothing stayed.

And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth, That she called unto the men of her house, and spake unto them, saying, See, he hath brought in an Hebrew unto us to mock us; he came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice: And it came to pass, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled, and got him out. And she laid up his garment by her, until his lord came home.

And she spake unto him according to these words, saying, The Hebrew servant, which thou hast brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me: And it came to pass, verse 18, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled out. And it came to pass, when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spake unto him, saying, After this manner did thy servant to me; that his wrath was kindled. He was hot. And Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison.

So, you know, he dodges the bullet of the pit and the getting sold and all that. He rises up, then she comes after him, then takes his garment, now he’s in prison. So it seems like he just can’t catch a break. Do you guys ever feel that way, where sometimes there’s those days? There’s those times when you just can’t catch a break.

In Prison, and Still the Lord Was With Him

We have to remember that through it all God is with us. He never has left us. It may look like we’re alone, but we’re never ever alone. God is not surprised by the situations that we run into. He’s seen our whole lives before us, and he has a solution. God has seen every challenge we face before it’s even occurred, and he knows the way out. We just have to trust him. But God is continually looking out for Joseph.

So in verse 21 of 37 it says, And when they had eaten, and when they had eaten them up, it could not, that’s not what I’m looking for. 39. Ah, I love you guys, such a team, such a team thing. 39 verse 21.

But the Lord was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it. The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his hand; because the Lord was with him, and that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper.

So so many times it says the Lord was with him. And see, it’s a clear example to us that things may not be fair. What was happening to Joseph was not fair, and that happens sometimes in our lives. We deal with situations that just are not fair and it doesn’t seem right. But it doesn’t mean that God is not with us.

We Wrestle Not Against Flesh and Blood

Because if we remember, in Ephesians chapter 6 verse 12, We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. So don’t sweat it. Don’t get distraught. God is with us. It’s not a flesh fight. You have those situations with people and you think it’s that person. That’s not what it is. It’s a spiritual competition. And when we remember that, we look to God for the solutions. So we continue to stand in God’s grace regardless of the negatives that come up.

Losing a Job and Believing God Turns Harm Into Good

And I remember a few years back in my career, I worked for an organization and another company reached out to me. They needed a HR person, that’s what I do, so I went to work for them. And unbeknownst to me, they had hired me to help them prepare to sell the company. I didn’t realize that when I started, so I found out a little while after. And you know, when they sell a company they may or may not keep the people that are working there. So I continue to do my job, I continue to work.

And not long after, they found a buyer and they sold the company. Then the guy, you know, he assesses who’s gonna take with him, and he decided he didn’t want me. He didn’t want my role. There were a few others. And it was frustrating, because I had, you know, busted my rear for the organization and thought, wow, you know, I left another good job thinking I was gonna be here for a while, and bye. You know, it’s kind of like, well, we’re gonna give you a severance and go on about your business.

So I had a choice to make during that. I could get bitter and frustrated, or I could believe God that that which was meant for my harm would be turned to my good. And that’s the approach I took. I didn’t get bitter. I didn’t get negative. I didn’t feel sorry for myself. I looked for opportunities to serve, to do what I could to help the transition within the organization, knowing that God would take care of me. And he did. I worked for them for about two months after this sale, then I went on about my business, got another job. That was a fantastic job actually.

But interestingly enough, you know, I felt a little bit, you know, shade. I was like, you know, why not? Why didn’t you pick me? Like I’m blah blah blah. Well God knew, because about two years later the FBI went into the new organization and shut him down. So that would have been an HR nightmare. So I, you know, there’s God. I thought that, you know, I thought it was, you know, I got wronged. You know, how could this happen? I’m God’s kid, like what’s going on? Well, that’s what was going on. You know, I’m sitting in my other job one day, I get all these texts. The FBI is here. I’m like, what?

You Cannot Control What Happens, Only Your Response

So when we think we know, we don’t always know, so we have to continue to trust God. But it was a good lesson for me. And often in my job as an HR person, I have to lay people off, or sometimes we have to separate people. And I always, well, after I pray before the situations, because my heart goes out to those people, but I encourage them not to get bitter, not to get, you know, hateful, use their energy to find their next opportunity, because things in life happen. We don’t have control over everything.

I always tell our kids, you can’t control what happens, but you can absolutely control your response to what happens. You can decide if you’re gonna go down in the dumps and, you know, do the death spiral, or if you’re gonna get up and believe God to meet your need. Because he always has. Have you guys ever looked back in your life when God hasn’t met a need? No, he always meets it.

A Doctor’s Report That Turned Out to Be Nothing

My husband and I were talking a couple of days ago to somebody about a situation many years ago. We sold our home, quit our jobs. We were going into a Christian leadership training program. And so, you know, it was a commitment. For kids, you know, we had our jobs, did all that, but this is what we knew we needed to do. Sold the house, you know, packed everything up, moved in with my mom, bless her heart, not always easy to live with your mom with four kids. Did all that.

So two weeks before we were gonna head out, the last thing we had to do was I had to get a physical. So, you know, everything had worked out just perfectly up until then. So I head into my doctor and they’re doing the physical. He’s doing all the checks and he checks my stomach. He said, huh? He said, I think you’re gonna need to go get an ultrasound today. And I’m like, why? Like, I don’t have any more kids, we took care of that. Where he said, well, I felt something, and it feels like it’s about the size of a baseball, and I need you to get into a doctor today. And then he went on to do the doom and gloom that sometimes they do, to say all the things that it could be. And he said the c-word. And I was like, oh no, no, no, you know, no, I’m 29, I got these kids, we’re about to move our lives to Indiana. No. But it was still scary.

So I went home. I called my husband. He’s at work. And we’re like, I’m like, this is what he said. He’s like, absolutely not. So we prayed. We were like, come on God, we know you’ve got her back. So still nerve-wracking, because you know, in one day life has kind of turned upside down. So I go into the ultrasound technician, and she, you know, does her thing, and she says, no. What, what did he say? And I told her, I said, well, he said there’s something like the size of a baseball. And she’s like, where? And so I told him. She’s like, what? Okay, let me call him. So she calls him, he tells her, nothing. Nothing was there.

So, you know, but that’s God. There was a moment to freak out. There was a moment to, we’re not gonna be okay. God came through, as he always does. And that’s what I want us to remember in times that are challenging, to know that God’s going to come through for you.

Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the Lord and Lean Not on Your Own Understanding

And if you turn to Proverbs chapter 3, one of my favorites, one of my all-time favorites, it was on our wall in our dining room until we painted it, but yeah, I know, now I’ve got to find it, I got to find it again. But in Proverbs chapter 3 verse 5 it says, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Then I looked at the Amplified. The Amplified says, Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own insight and understanding. In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognize him, and he will make your path straight and smooth, removing obstacles that block your way. So you recognize that God’s at work, and relax. You know, Rico shared that the other night. Relax. We get all caught up and we’ve got to figure it out, and oh, whoa, whoa, whoa. Relax.

Now listen to the Message, the same verse in the Message. Trust God from the bottom of your heart. Don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go. He’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all. Well, there you go. I don’t know if it could be any clearer. No, I know none of you guys feel that way. But it’s a, you know, we think we know, because before this is what happened, or this is what I think should happen. But we don’t know. When we trust God, then we get the answer of deliverance. We get the right answer.

So the FBI is not going to come in and upset your life. See, God’s got us regardless of what things look like. You don’t have to get caught up in your own understanding. It will lead you astray, news flash. Trust him, and not that old man.

It’s funny because my brother had an older brother, and I’m the youngest of four, and he, one year for the holidays, he gave me a pair of socks. I was like, well, thank you Steve. And I look, open up, and it says control freak. He’s like, you think you can control everything. I’m like, well, I’ve been known to try to be that way. But as I get a little older, I’m less of a control freak. I don’t have to control it all, because God’s taking care of me. I can take the pressure off of myself.

Genesis 41: Joseph Interprets Pharaoh’s Dreams

So let’s go back to Genesis, and let’s go to chapter 41. And I’ll say, but you guys keep track in case I can’t see, and you guys have to remind me where I’m at. Chapter 41. Now, there’s a lot going on here in this chapter. Pharaoh had some dreams and wasn’t sure what they meant, so he sent for some folks to interpret them and they could not, they couldn’t. But the butler remembered Joseph and told Pharaoh about Joseph. So he sent for Joseph, who was still in prison, and he was able to interpret.

And I love how this starts, in verse 14. Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh. I love that, you know, he shaves, like, I gotta make sure that I don’t, you know, make sure I’m going to see Pharaoh. I love those details.

And in verse 15, And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it. And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace. So he didn’t take the credit for that.

And so he told Pharaoh what would happen, in verse 25 of the same chapter. And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do. The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one. Verse 27, And the seven thin and ill favoured kine that came up after them are seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine. This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: What God is about to do he sheweth unto Pharaoh.

Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt: And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land; And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous. And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.

Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years. And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep good in the cities, keep food in the cities. And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine.

Pharaoh Sets Joseph Over All the Land of Egypt

And the land was good in the eye, and the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants. And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is? And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art. So there he is, lifting him up again.

Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck.

So once again Joseph was lifted up. It just couldn’t keep a good man down. He goes down, God gets him up. Because down, God gets him up. Think about how God does that in your life. You might be facing a challenge right now. Maybe there’s a financial challenge, maybe there’s a job challenge, maybe relationships, maybe children. Just rely on God, trust in God, and he will take care of you. Don’t let the circumstances determine your attitude, your mindset. Relax and know that God is taking care of you and the situation, that grace is abundant for us.

2 Corinthians 9:8: God Is Able to Make All Grace Abound

Look at 2 Corinthians 9. We just can’t get caught up into what the circumstances look like, because God always has our back. 2 Corinthians 9 in verse 8, And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound unto every good work. Always having all sufficiency in all things. Not some things. Not only the things that somebody else thinks important. God is your sufficiency.

God is your partner. God has your back. You are not doing anything in your life alone, regardless of what it looks like. We think, oh, he’s forsaken. No, he hasn’t. Your needs will always be met. We don’t know how it’s gonna happen, we don’t know when it’s gonna happen, but we know that it will happen.

You know, my husband and I have been working through a situation, the job situation he has, and we think we’ve got it figured out. We think this is the thing, but we know God. We know when the door opens and stays open, that’s going to be from God. So we’re at peace. You know, there’s moments we have those doubts, like it’s not happening soon enough. But God knows the timing. How many times in your life has the timing been just what it needed to be? I think about the timing in that job situation. That was perfect timing, but that’s how God is. We just stay faithful to him and we stay patient, knowing that he’s gonna deliver us. He’s always got our back.

Staying Faithful at Work and Leading the Whole Person

At the current job I have, I got a lot of job stories, but that’s just one of those things. But then you think about Joseph. This is his job, and you see how God took care of him. But I had a leader who was not too great. She was, as a matter of fact, she was crappy, to be honest. And I couldn’t, you know, I thought, this isn’t right. Like, how does this woman who doesn’t know what she’s doing, how is she this? This is not right.

Well, you know what, God took care of the situation. I tried to take care of it a few times myself. I tried to quit, I tried to find another job. I was working out my own salvation, but God had another idea. I stayed faithful. I did my job to the best of my ability, and eventually she left, a new person came in, and the world changed. And I have never enjoyed a job the way that I enjoy the job I have now, and the opportunities that I have to share God’s grace with people, to help take the pressure off of people.

We went through a pandemic that affected the workplace a lot, people’s mental health, different things. I was able to help, you know, minister to people, help calm crying people that didn’t know what they were going to do in the situation, and had children, family and hospitals and different situations. But God had me in the right place to be able to help meet some of those needs. Think about where you are. God’s got you in the right place to help meet those needs. We just have to speak, we just have to talk, we have to share his grace.

You know, in my role I talk a lot about the whole person. People come to work, they spend more time at work than they do at home. It’s a lot of time at work, and what the workplace does to people can be very negative. My goal is to make sure that our leaders are leading the whole person and doing what they can to bless the entire person and their families. What can we do to help that person? Well, they haven’t been performing in the job, I’m gonna write them up. Well, did you ask them if they’re okay? Did you talk to them to see if there’s anything you can do for them? That’s what we need more of in the workplace, not people, you know, looking to write people up and get them out.

What can we do for people? What can you do for the people that you work with, if you’re a leader? What can you do for those people that you lead? How can you support them? How can you love them? I did a talk last year at an HR conference, and I got the idea at this conference last year, to talk about love in the workplace. And everybody’s panicking. Oh my god, you’ve got to talk about, no, not that kind of love. We don’t want that kind of love. God’s love. But we did, we talked about, how can you love more in the workplace? Why not? Why not? We can be those catalysts to provide more love in the workplace, to help those people that need us. We spend so much time with them. Why not? Why limit God? Let’s look for those opportunities to bless people.

Galatians 6:9: Let Us Not Be Weary in Well Doing

Let’s look at Galatians chapter 6. And it’s a lot of fun when you think of it that way, not just a job, but how can you bless people? How can you love people more? Galatians chapter 6 in verse 9, And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. Don’t give up, don’t quit. Now in the Message it says, So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up or quit.

So you don’t do it, you know, sometimes it does seem that we’re fighting a battle uphill, but we’re not. God is at work with it in us. We are those lights in those areas that we go in. We’re walking through the airport, we’re on the moving belt, we’re those lights. Know that and remember that about yourself as you go through this life.

Joshua 1:9: Be Strong and of a Good Courage Wherever You Go

And then let’s look at Joshua chapter 1, one of my very very favorite verses of all time. Joshua chapter 1 verse 9, and it says, Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is what? With thee whithersoever thou goest. The significant things, the insignificant things, God is with you wherever you go and whatever you’re doing.

The Amplified of that is, I love this, Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified or dismayed or intimidated, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. We heard earlier, don’t, we don’t have to be intimidated, or maybe it was last night. I love that. We go into situations, we have a right to be there. We don’t have to be intimidated, because God in Christ in you is there right with you. So we can walk in there with great boldness in our hearts, because God’s with us. We don’t have to back down in situations. We can walk with boldness, and I exhort you to do that. We can get intimidated at times, don’t, you know, get, don’t get me wrong. We just don’t stay there, and we remember who we are.

Genesis 42: Joseph Meets His Brothers Without Bitterness

So let’s go back to Genesis chapter 42 and we’ll wrap up this record. Genesis 42 verse 1. Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another? And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die. I love that. He’s like, what are you guys doing standing around here? Go get us some corn. That’s pretty. I love the details that we have in there.

And then in verse 7, And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them. So his brothers are heading to Egypt to get some corn. And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food. And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew him not.

And in verse 9, And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come. And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come. We are all one man’s sons; we are true men, thy servants are no spies. And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come. In verse 13, And they said, Thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.

So they go on to get their need met. They go on to, you know, Joseph takes care of him. He goes, they go back home, and then they come back. The point is, through this situation God always took care of Joseph, and then Joseph was able to take care of his family. And he wasn’t bitter. I think that’s a tremendous example, to what his brothers did. There definitely could have been a temptation to be bitter, but he didn’t, he loved his brothers and he took care of them.

And it’s just a great example that we keep our hearts tender. Stuff happens, but it’s not the person, it’s the adversary, and we have to remember that. We don’t hold a grudge and we don’t get angry with people. See, God had a plan and he took care of him, just like he has a plan for you. He’s seen your life all the way through and he knows what you need. Look at the lengths that he went to to take care of Joseph and his family. He’ll do the same for you.

Don’t Quit: God’s Grace Is Always There to Stand In

So I like to close with a poem that many of you may be familiar with. It’s by Edgar Guest and it’s Don’t Quit. And it says, When things go wrong as they sometimes will, when the road you’re trudging seems all uphill, when the funds are low and the debts are high, and you want to smile but you have to sigh, when care is pressing you down a bit, rest if you must, but don’t you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns, as every one of us sometimes learns, and many a failure turns about when he might have won if he’d stuck it out. Don’t give up though the pace seems slow, you might succeed with another blow. Often the struggler has given up when he might have captured the victor’s cup, and he learned too late when the night slipped down how close he was to the golden crown. Success is failure turned inside out, the silver tint of clouds of doubt, and you never can tell how close you are, it may be near when it seems afar. So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit, it’s when things seem worst that you must not quit.

See, God’s grace is always there for us to rely upon and to stand in. We don’t have to quit. Oh, you can take a moment to lay down and rest, but get back up, because God’s people need you. The world needs us, the people in this room. You’re not here by accident. It’s not a happenstance that we’re all here together. We’re here because we need to be, because this world needs the lights that we shine. So thank you so much, and have a wonderful day.

Key Takeaways

• At every turn in Joseph’s life, when it looked like it wasn’t going to turn out in his favor, God showed up again and again; we don’t always know how and we don’t always know when, but we do know that he’s going to show up.
• Genesis says the Lord was with Joseph in Potiphar’s house and says it again in the prison: the circumstances kept changing, the presence did not.
• What was happening to Joseph was not fair, and unfair things happen to us, but it doesn’t mean that God is not with us; Ephesians 6:12 says the fight is not against flesh and blood.
• You can’t control what happens, but you can absolutely control your response to what happens: after being let go, the choice was to get bitter or to believe God that what was meant for harm would be turned to good.
• Proverbs 3:5-6 in the King James, the Amplified and the Message all land in the same place: trust God rather than your own understanding, and he will make your path straight and smooth.
• Joseph was never bitter toward his brothers, because it’s not the person, it’s the adversary; keep your heart tender, don’t hold a grudge and don’t get angry with people.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the record of Joseph teach about God’s grace in challenging times?

It teaches that God shows up again and again even when the circumstances say otherwise. Joseph was hated by his brothers, thrown into a pit, sold into Egypt, falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife and put into the prison, and at each stage Genesis says the Lord was with him and made what he did to prosper. The speaker’s point is that God can exalt us when it seems as though the situation is bleak, because his grace is a living reality in our lives.

Why does Genesis keep repeating that the Lord was with Joseph?

Because it is the one thing that does not change while everything else does. The phrase appears first when Joseph is brought down to Egypt into Potiphar’s house, and it appears again after he is put into the prison, where the Lord shewed him mercy and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison. The repetition is the reminder that Joseph was not alone in what he faced, and neither are we.

How should a Christian respond when a job situation is unfair?

By refusing to get bitter and by controlling the response rather than the event. When the company she worked for was sold and the buyer did not keep her role, the speaker chose to believe God that what was meant for her harm would be turned to her good, and she looked for opportunities to serve during the transition instead of getting negative. About two years later the FBI shut that organization down, which showed why the door had closed.

Scripture References

Romans 8:31; Genesis 37:2-4; Genesis 37:5; Genesis 37:6-8; Genesis 37:9-11; Genesis 37:23-24; Genesis 37:29; Genesis 37:35; Genesis 39:1-2; Genesis 39:3; Genesis 39:4; Genesis 39:7-9; Genesis 39:10; Genesis 39:11-16; Genesis 39:17-20; Genesis 39:21-23; Ephesians 6:12; Proverbs 3:5-6; Genesis 41:14; Genesis 41:15-16; Genesis 41:25-32; Genesis 41:33-36; Genesis 41:37-42; 2 Corinthians 9:8; Galatians 6:9; Joshua 1:9; Genesis 42:1-2; Genesis 42:7-8; Genesis 42:9-13

This text was prepared from the teaching audio. Please verify scripture references against your own Bible.