Crazy day yesterday, so I’m a little late with this.

Genesis 39:3  “And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand.”

Joseph must have questioned this at times in his life.  Here was a boy that innocently told his brothers about a dream.  His brothers, feeling such intense hatred for him, sold him into slavery.  How Joseph must have felt!  To be rejected from his family in such a terrible way.  Then, for a time, he did prosper.  God must have gifted him with great insight to be promoted to such a position as to have control over all his master’s possessions, excepting his wife.  He was still a slave though, and far, far from home.  At night, when all his many duties were done for the day, he might have stood at the window in his room looking towards home with an ache in his heart.  While his hand’s work prospered he still must have longed to be reunited and accepted by his family.  On to jail, and yet again he was given great responsibility.  The Bible says the keeper of the prison did not even look into anything that was under his hand!  What integrity he must have shown to inspire such trust.  But now, not only was he a slave, he was a prisoner.  Years passed and Joseph wanted out of prison.  Finally, God provided the way.  Again, everything he did prospered.  God had a plan.  During all that time while Joseph yearned to be with his family he repeatedly found himself in higher and higher ranking positions of power.  He did not set long term goals and plan out his future.  He did not pray for great wealth or power or position.  He only wanted to go home, but found along the way, a path he was forced to follow which impeded any move toward fulfilling his heart’s desire.  In the end, Joseph got his wish along with accomplishing the will of his heavenly Father.  He was reunited with his family in such a beautiful way as to show us how much God can change the human heart.  The prophetic dreams were fulfilled.  Joseph saved his family from death by starvation.

To have such a Midas touch as God gave Joseph would be a wonderful gift and yet in God’s plan it was a means to an end.  Our gifts and talents take us places: down roads, through valleys and sometimes even up to mountaintops.   But, if we stay on the path of righteousness, in the end, we will find an omniscient God, the rock of salvation of Jesus Christ, and all of the  peace and joy and contentment that we yearn for.