Genesis 41:1-40
Through many years of ministry I have often wondered why God sets aside some of his most gifted people for extended periods of time. When such times grow in length, it’s easy to question whether we will ever know the joy of using our gifts again, or whether we were ever gifted at all. Our text speaks not only to God’s supreme faithfulness, it also gives insight into the mystery of what God was doing in Joseph, while he was painfully waiting for the proper time. It’s much easier to endure the darkness when we can see the purposeful hand behind the crucible.
Genesis 40:1-23
God never does leave us, but sometimes it seems that he does. What happens to the human soul when our dreams are forgotten in a prison of silence? Our blessed narrator has no fear taking on these questions. And the tale that he weaves will shape Israel with a spirituality that enables her to live in the worst of times. The question for us is whether we are courageous enough to receive it.
Genesis 39:1-23
One of the greatest difficulties in the Christian life is bridging the gap between the promises of God and our everyday life. A powerful truth believers celebrate is the fact that the Lord is “with us.” But what happens when you pray for God to be “with” you or your children, and tragedy occurs? Or to be “with you” at work, and you are laid off? Or to be “with you” in your marriage and you end up divorced? Or to be “with you” in your cancer treatments and they are unsuccessful? What then? Come this week and discover how God is “with Joseph” even in the midst of betrayal and prison.
