How do we remain faithful when things seem to only get worse?
Have you ever felt like God has forgotten you? Maybe you thought everything would look different from what it does now—and not for the better. When the Holy Spirit fills us, we are full of God’s presence and vision. We may even think that it will always be like this. But then, it doesn’t.
The story of Joseph starts with a teenager in the Canaan hill country and ends with a man who is filled with the Spirit of God, who is raised up to lead his family and a nation out of world-wide famine.
In this article, we look at some highlights on Joseph’s life from Genesis and then get a behind the scenes look at what God was up to in Joseph’s life from Psalm 105. We will see three principles that we can use to understand how to remain faithful to our God given dreams and desires.
Joseph’s God-Dream Rejected
Joseph was the favored son of Jacob. He was the first son of Jacob’s favored wife, and proved his faithfulness to his father (37:2).
“Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him” (Gen 37:3-4).
Why were his brothers so jealous? That robe not only was a sign of their father’s favor, it was also a sign of who he would choose to inherit their father’s place. Traditionally, this place of honor would go to the oldest, but Jacob was choosing the eleventh born son. They were filled with hatred and jealousy. Proverbs tells us,
“Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy?” (Proverbs 27:4).
If that wasn't enough, Joseph was also favored by God and given two dreams that would predict that he would rule his family and nations. Of course, they didn't recognize Joseph's dreams as being God-dreams, these only increased they jealousy.
His older brothers could not wait to satisfy their jealousy. As soon as they were away from their father, with Joseph, they sought to demote him from his lofty dreams, and stripped him from his robe. If it weren't for the oldest brother coming to his senses they would have murdered him. They betrayed their brother by selling him off as a slave.
What did they tell their father? They took that robe, covered it in animals blood and claimed he was attacked by wild animals in the wilderness. They watched as their grieved Joseph’s death. They tore their family apart.
Remarkably, Joseph did not give into a victim mentality. Most of us would have been so overwhelmed with bitterness and resentment, that our God-dreams would be lost forever. But Joseph remained faithful to God.
Wait a minute!
You might be saying, “Wait a minute! What does Joseph’s dream have to do with me? I’ve never received a God-dream like Joseph! Maybe, you haven't been given a God-dream, but everyone who remains faithful will be given the, “Desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:2). These are not the natural desires of the flesh, but rather the God-desires that are planted in each believer to seek out in their lives.
Faithfulness in pit
The slave trade brought Joseph to Egypt, where we would experience a series of ups and downs, and in each case he remained faithful. First, he sold as a slave to Potiphar,
“The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master. 3 His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord caused all that he did to succeed in his hands. 4So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him, and he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had. 5From the time that he made him overseer in his house and overall that he had, the Lord blessed the Egyptians house for Joseph’s sake; the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had, in house and field. 6So he left all that he had in Joseph’s charge, and because of him he had no concern about anything but the food he ate” (Gen 39:2-6).
Joseph was handsome, he was successful and Potiphar’s wife began to lust for him. She threw herself at him repeatedly with demands that he would have sex with her. But unlike most men, Joseph’s success did not get to his head, he knew where his success came from, and he remained faithful.
“But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Behold because of me my master has no concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything he has in my charge. He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” (Gen 39:8-9).
But Potiphar’s wife only persisted, until she was pulling at his clothes. No doubt, her pleas were tempting, and fleeing her grasp, he left his clothing in her hands. She was bitter and angry, she threw his clothing in her husbands face accusing him of rape! Joseph was thrown into prison—Once again he was in the pit!
“But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever was done there, he was the one who did it. The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph’s charge, because the Lord was with him. And whatever he did, the Lord made it succeed” (Genesis 39:21-23).
Two years later, Pharaoh had a disturbing dream, and called for someone to interpret it. When no one could be found, the servant remember Joseph and Pharaoh summoned him to interpret the dream. Joseph gave the glory of God, and then interpreted seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. He followed with a plan to store grain during the seven years of plenty that could be used during the seven years of famine. Pharaoh chose Joseph to oversee this plan…
“This proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants. And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?’ The Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is no one so discerning and wise as you are. You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command. Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you. ‘See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt” (Gen 41:38-41).
God set the timing, the position and gave Joseph the favor to fulfill the God-dream! Joseph ruled the known world. He brought the people through the famine. He brought his family through the famine too. In one of the greatest stories of forgiveness, he brought healing to father and brothers too!
It is only a faithful person who truly believes that God rules and controls ALL circumstances! It is the faithful that God promotes to God-dreams & desires!
Joseph believed his God-dream because he believed that God rules ALL! Psalm 105 gives a behind the scenes look at Joseph’s life which we will gain three principles for waiting upon our God-dreams…
1. GOD DREAMS REQUIRE GOD’S TIMING
Joseph remained faithful in God’s timing! Whether as a favored son, slave, success or prisoner he believed God was in control! Behind the scenes God was putting him in position for the magnitude of his God-dream.
“When he summoned a famine on the land and broke all supply of bread,he had sent a man ahead of them,Joseph, who was sold as a slave” (Ps 105:16-17).
Though Joseph was betrayed by his brothers, stripped of robe of honor, God was working out his position to rule his family tribe and the kingdoms of the world.
Is it hard to see God-dreams & desires from where you are at? Do you believe that he will fulfill your God-dream? Or, are you settling for secondary purposes for your life? From Joseph’s example we can see that it is important to remain faithful in God’s timing.
2. GOD DREAMS REQUIRE GOD’S TESTING
The magnitude of Joseph’s God-dream was so great that it required great testing…
"His feet were hurt with fetters;his neck was put in a collar of iron; until what he said came to pass;the word of the Lord tested him” (Ps 105:18-19).
Pain & suffering are part of life in a fallen world! It doesn't mean that God has forgotten you! He uses the pains of life to test our faith! Not like a school test! Like testing preciousness of Gold!
What have you learned in hard times? How have your values changed from hard times? How have hard times shifted your pursuits? Take confidence that God will not waste your time spent waiting upon him. He will prepare you for the God-dreams and God-desires that he has given to you.
3. GOD DREAMS REQUIRE GOD’S FAVOR
Everyone who is ‘in Christ’ has the grace and favor of God. But there is an abundance of favor for anyone who remains faithful in ALL circumstances!
"The king sent and released him;the ruler of the peoples set him free; he made him lord of his house and ruler of all his possessions, to bind his princes at his pleasure and to teach his elders wisdom” (Psalm 105:16-22).
How do I find God’s Favor?
We have such a great example of God’s favor in the life of Joseph, but how do we find an increase of favor in our life? Solomon gives us instruction to follow,
“Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you;bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart.so you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man” (Proverbs 3:3-4).
If you look closely at the Joseph’s life, you will see that he remained steadfast in love through his service to his father, Potiphar, the jailer, Pharaoh and finally his brothers. You will also see that remained faithful to God in all things at all times. If you will look at the statements made about the favor that God gave him (which are used in this article), you will also see that God did grant him favor in his sight, and also in the sight of men (Jacob, Potiphar, jailer, and Pharaoh). It is almost as if Solomon had written this proverb with Joseph’s account in Genesis in mind.
Are you in the waiting room? Are becoming impatient with God? Are you becoming bitter towards your circumstances? Or, Resenting others? Take a moment to confess these experiences to God and ask him to cleanse you from all unfaithfulness. He will fulfill the God-dreams and God-desires that he has set to all who bind themselves to steadfast love and faithfulness when their dreams and desires can't be seen (Hebrews 11:1). Remember, nothing pleases God more than faith.
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