HONORING God’s PRESENCE in our ‘DAILY’ ACTIVITIES!
January
13 Bible Reading: Genesis Chapters 37-39
HONORING God’s PRESENCE in our ‘DAILY’ ACTIVITIES!
"The
Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful
man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the Lord was with him
and that the Lord made all he did to
prosper in his hand. So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him.
Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his
authority. So it was, from the time that he had made him overseer of his house
and all that he had, that the Lord
blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had in the house and in the
field." (Gen 39:2-5)
The key to
Joseph’s whole life is expressed in these words: "the Lord was with him, and…the Lord made all that he did to
prosper in his hand" (v. 3). This key phrase is repeated in verses 21
and 23 to describe Joseph in the prison and indicates that God cared for, protected and blessed Joseph.
This provides the theological theme
of Joseph’s story (vv. 3, 21, 23), and the link between Joseph and the
patriarchs (28:15; see Acts 7:9). God’s
beneficent presence was experienced even in slavery, outside the land of
blessing!
Joseph’s
master Potiphar literally saw God’s
presence in Joseph’s life and the prosperity that evolved as a result of God’s
presence (v. 3). God commanded Abraham and his descendants to be a blessing to
everyone (see Gen. 12:2, 3), and Joseph exemplified that blessing. Because of God’s
blessing, Joseph was made an overseer of Potiphar’s household affairs. The
following five points about Joseph’s
life are worth noting:
- It was God who prospered Joseph (v. 2, 3). All blessings and gifts in our lives come from God alone (James 1:17).
- We may be separated from our friends and family (like Joseph), but no one can deprive us of God’s presence as He has promised to be with us forever (Matt. 28:20b; Hebrews 13:5b)
- It is God’s presence with us that makes all we do prosperous in what we do, and we can do nothing without God’s help (John 15:5b).
- Joseph exemplifies the faithful steward and illustrates the principle that “one who is faithful in a little will be given charge over much” (Matt. 25:21; 1 Cor. 4:2).
- God’s guidance in Joseph’s life actually was to prepare for Jacob’s household a way out of the dangerous conditions, which Joseph only realized in the later part of his life (Gen. 50:20).
Let us honor
God’s presence in our daily work/school activities as we pursue an attitude of
excellence, and direct our work to Him (Eph. 6:5–8). God will be with us when we are tempted and will show us the way to
escape (1 Cor. 10:13). God will be with
us as we wait for His time of release and exaltation (Psalms 75:6).
Joseph spent
two difficult years in the prison,
but he held to his faith and did what he could to serve others. This experience
helped to “put iron into his soul”
(Psalms 105:17–22). If God controls us,
it makes little difference who commands us! Like Joseph, God will reward us
greatly beyond our wildest
expectation in His perfect time!
