What a story! Joseph was the favored son of the Old Testament’s most fabled family and was born for greatness. But before great privilege there would be great pain. Many have observed – before God can use a man greatly He must hurt him deeply.
Joseph received his dreams from God and they were huge. According to the Lord His entire family would bow down to him. Jealousy had driven this dysfunctional family from the start and his envious brothers would not bear the thought of this father’s pet ruling their life. They took matters into their own hands and our dreamer quickly finds himself a slave in Egypt. The Tamar story is inserted to help us understand that Joseph was not only forsaken he was largely forgotten.
What do you do when your highest hopes and deepest dreams collapse like a house of cards? Remember that God remembers. The LORD was with Joseph was the triumphant refrain of Joseph’s life (39: 2, 21, 23). Joseph is Exhibit A of the faithfulness of God in the rough and tumble of life. When you are living life in the spin cycle remember God remembers. You can survive the pit and the prison if you know God is with you. John Wesley was right: “Best of all God is with us.”
God’s faithfulness should be matched with our faithfulness when our dreams unravel. Joseph was an icon of faithfulness. What is faithfulness? Faithfulness is taking care of what you are supposed to take care of and keeping your hands off everything else. That’s Joseph. People trusted Joseph so they entrusted much to him. This young man was Teflon©. Nothing stuck to him. Even when seduced by a powerful woman he maintained his integrity. She clutched his cloak but he kept his character. Joseph was faithful.
When you minister in obscurity; when you suffer unjustly and when your dreams become nightmares remember God is faithful and we should be faithful as well.