The Bible tells the story of Joseph. Joseph had it all. His family was wealthy, his dad had given him a rare coat of many colors and to top it off, one night he had a dream from God in which he was the ruler over all his brothers. Needless to say, his brothers didn't take the dream well.
Read
Genesis 37:18-28.
- Joseph knew God's plan for him was that he would rule over his brothers, and yet he ended up getting sold into slavery!
- What would you be thinking about God if you had been Joseph?
- The Creator/King was in control, even when Joseph was sold into slavery. God had a plan even if his brothers had something else in mind!
When the caravan reached Egypt, Joseph was sold to a man named Potiphar. Even though Joseph was a slave, he worked hard and did his best work. Potiphar was impressed with his hard work, and Joseph was eventually promoted to the highest position in the house. Things were looking up for Joseph!
But then Potiphar's wife lied about Joseph and accused him of doing things he didn't do. Potiphar believed his wife and had Joseph thrown in prison. Joseph just couldn't seem to get ahead! What would you have been thinking if you were Joseph?
Believe it or not, Joseph continued to work hard and listen to God! The Creator/King was in control, even in prison, and He had a plan even if he was treated unfairly by others.
One night Pharaoh, the leader of the nation of Egypt, had a dream from God. Pharaoh was told of Joseph's ability to reveal the meaning of dreams, and he told Joseph the dream. Joseph revealed to Pharaoh the meaning of the dream, that Egypt would have 7 years of super-sized crops and then 7 years of no crops at all.
It was clear to Pharaoh that God had placed Joseph in his palace at the right time to save his nation from dying off. Listen to what the Pharaoh said in
Genesis 41:41:
And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.
Can you believe it? So many things had gone wrong, and it certainly seemed that Joseph was doomed, but the Creator/King was always in control. Now Joseph was in charge of everything in Egypt!
Because Joseph knew the 7 years of famine (when there's very little food) was coming, he had ordered food to be saved and stored during the 7 years of super-sized crops. This made sure that the people of Egypt wouldn't starve. Many people from other countries, however, were going hungry. Joseph's father and his family were among them.
Can you guess what happened?
Joseph's brothers traveled to Egypt to ask the Pharaoh for food. When they arrived, they were taken before Joseph! But, it had been a long time since his brothers had seen Joseph, and they didn't recognize him in his royal robes.
If you were Joseph, what do you think you would have said or done to your brothers?
Read what he said from
Genesis 45:7-8.
It seemed that Joseph was continually in the wrong place at the wrong time. But all the while, the Creator/King was preparing Joseph to be in the right place at the right time!
Joseph's brothers did not ruin God's plan! Potiphar's wife did not ruin God's plan! No one could ruin the Creator/King's plan!
What did you learn from Joseph about how to act when bad things happen? (
Trust that God is in control and has a plan; work hard to do your best and stay connected to Him!)
If God is in control of everything, then no matter what happens, it is an opportunity to see Him work!
WHY DOES THIS MATTER:
Because God is the Creator/King, you can be sure He's in control, even when everything seems out of control!
Because God is the Creator/King, you can be sure that no one can ruin His plan for your life, no matter how hard he or she tries!
TAKING ACTION:
Ask God to help you see problems as opportunities to let Him work in your life and to trust that He is in control!
