Rejoice:

Read:

39 Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there.

² The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. ³ When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, ⁴ Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. ⁵ From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. ⁶ So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.

Isn’t it great to see God take care of Joseph going into this struggle? His family while being filled with hate and seeing very little value in his life sold him to slavery yet “the Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered.” The Lord looked past the earthly lack of value other’s had in Joseph. He looked past the shortcomings Joseph may have had and treated him as valuable. Now, others are starting to value Joseph but based on God’s placed value. Not because of something within Joseph himself, but because of the Lord’s involvement in his life. The same reasoning that his brothers put him in that pit (these dreams were from the Lord). In Joseph’s new place he is being favored by the Lord and the ruler notices. Instead of responding like the brothers (who were closer to equals with Joseph) he respects the favor and utilizes it, putting him in charge over things. His brothers were drawn to put him in a pit when they saw him being favored… Sometimes your struggles are because others cannot fully grasp the reasoning for your blessings. Potiphar saw it was the LORD who was blessing him. His brothers only focused on him.

Isn’t it odd though that Joseph didn’t start being treated as valuable until he was moved away from the place we would LOGICALLY assume he would find value? He was home with his family, where most people experience the most love. In our human logic Joseph should have experienced the greatest amount of love possible here. However, it wasn’t until after he is persecuted and put into slavery that he suddenly begins being honored for the Lord’s presence. You’ve got to realize that sometimes God is going to move you out of your comfort zone, away from your circle of people so that your blessings can be truly recognized and used. Don’t hold on to situations because YOU think they are important. Hold on to situations because the Lord says they are important.

Respond:

God, I thank You that You find value in my life when others don’t. I thank You that even when I do not see value in myself that You do. Please help me to not hold on to situations or people that You are trying to move me away from. Help me to see Your will in my life above my preferences.

Relate:

Assure fellow believers, when you see them enter difficult changes, that often God needs to move us for us to be experiencing the same value He sees. Remind them of Joseph, and how it looked like the situation was becoming worse yet it was getting significantly better!