In Egypt, Joseph gave his sons names that indicated God had blessed him “in the land of my affliction.” Genesis 41:51-52. But Joseph was not the only one who knew God’s hand was on him. It was obvious to Egypt’s idol-worshipping pagans:
“And his master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper…. [so Potiphar] made him overseer in his house… and the blessing of the Lord was upon all that he had.”
Genesis 39:2-5.
And even in prison:
“The Lord was with Joseph… and the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners… because the Lord was with him, and made all that he did to prosper” 39:21-23.
And Pharoah:
“Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?… and Pharoah took off his ring and put it on Joseph’s hand,” 41:38,42.
God’s blessings were all over Joseph, and he became second-in-command of all Egypt.
I love the story of Joe. So what can I do to have God’s blessings in my life? Any clues? Part of it is God’s choice—He chose Joseph for special blessings. But it’s more than that. Joseph OBEYED. Imagine: young man, all alone in a new land, no friends or family, no one speaks his language or worships his God. But there is one woman who is after him every day. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. She grabs his clothes and begs: “Sleep with me!” That would be SO TEMPTING! (Seriously.) He answered:
“How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?”—and he tore himself loose leaving his robe in her hand! (How hard did she pull? She was scary-determined.)
But notice, Joseph did not focus on sinning against Potiphar, his wife, or himself. He feared sinning against God. –And that’s the key to his blessings. God blesses us when we obey.
How can you obey God more? Is there a sin you need to eliminate? Do you crave God’s blessings? Obey Him and be patient. Plant good seeds and in a later season (give them time to grow), you will reap a good harvest.
—read Galatians 6:9
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