In our last lesson, we looked at some individuals whose lives took some unexpected turns, and one of those individuals was Joseph. God’s dealing with Joseph and the experiences he had could have an impact on the way we live our lives. Joseph’s life is filled with events and themes that seem to repeat themselves, and we can take lessons out of those themes and events.

The Trials of Joseph

In Genesis 37, we meet Joseph as one of twelve sons of Jacob. He serves his father faithfully and prospers as a result – he becomes a favorite of his father’s. He is bestowed distinction in his many-colored coat, but verses 3-4 reveal envy in his brother’s minds. These hateful feelings lead them to conspire against Joseph, planing to kill him. However, Reuben talks them out of murder, and the brothers sell him as a slave instead, and the brothers deceive Jacob into believing Joseph is dead after stripping Joseph's coat from him..

In chapter 39, Jospeh serves Potiphar, and, again, Jospeh finds favor with this master. He serves his master well. He becomes a favorite, and he is granted honor by Potiphar. Joseph is put in a position of overseer within the household. However, Potiphar’s wife is angered when Joseph rejects her constant advances. Again, his coat is stripped from him when he flees from her, but she accuses him of being the aggressor and turned Potiphar against him. As a result, Joseph is imprisoned.

In Genesis 40:15, Joseph sees that he is thrown into a pit again for no good reason. Twice now he has been betrayed by those close to him after being honored and given distinction. His own garments have twice been used to deceive others, and twice he has been cast out from his household into captivity.

However, events begin to turn in Genesis 41:37, and Pharaoh honors Joseph, giving him a third coat of honor. He is brought into Pharaoh’s inner circle, and Joseph ends up where he needs to be to save his family and be a part of God’s plan for the lineage of the Messiah.

Lessons from Joseph

Joseph recognized God’s providence in his life. When his family comes to him for help – not initially knowing who he is – he sees God’s hand in the events of his life. It’s not easy to see God’s plan when we are in the middle of it, but Joseph could not have worn his third coat had he not worn and had been stripped of the first two. There are personal tragedies that we may wonder at the reason while we are going through them, but God might be preparing us to be in a better position to help others or further His cause later.

Humility also played a role in Joseph’s life. What would any of us do if Pharaoh had bestowed such honor on ourselves? Would we have wanted revenge on any of the individuals who we felt had wronged us prior this? Would we have gloated over those who had set us up for failure? We do not read about any of this with Joseph. Instead, he simply serves Pharaoh as he should have, and he helps those traitorous brothers when he has the opportunity.

Finally, we can learn trust through Joseph’s relationship with God. Again, in Genesis 45:5-8 acknowledges God’s role in his life. He realizes that God has delivered him and preserved him through those trials that could have consumed him. Things may not have gone how Joseph would have wanted at the time, but, at the end of the journey, he could look at how God brought him to this point. Likewise, we may not understand God’s plan for our own lives, but we can maintain that relationship and lean on Him through whatever troubles we encounter.

By Tim Smelser

Tags: examples, providence, purpose, attitude, joseph

We need to be a people of prayer. We often become concerned about pattern and format of our prayers, the frequency we should pray with, and what is appropriate to pray for. I Timothy 2:1-2, Paul lays out various elements that could be included in our prayer life. Despite our concerns, we sometimes avoid prayer, and it may be because we know we are not what we should be. “Prayer keeps us from sin, but sin keeps us from prayer.”

The Test of Prayer

In the New Testament, prayer can be used to measure our spirituality. Paul’s prayers were largely concerned with spiritual matters; Jesus’ example prayer was primarily concerned with spiritual concerns. However, our prayers are often filled with physical concerns.

Prayer can also be used to measure humility. Do we only pray when others can hear us? Are we willing to take our concerns and hand them off to God? It can be difficult to remove self from the equation, and we don’t want to talk to God until we have straightened things out.

Prayer is a test of faith. If we are full of faith in God, we will pray to Him. We pray because we rely on God and we believe He cares for and watches out for us. We need to pray with confidence and not treat this avenue as a last ditch effort that is unlikely to work.

The Fervent Prayer of Faith

In James 5:13-16, the role of prayer in a godly person’s life is emphasized. Elijah is used as an example in this instance, and we are encouraged to pray “fervently.” This carries an idea of energy and action. To pray energetically is to pray from a sincere heart. In I Kings 18, we have another example of Elijah and how prayer can produce deliverance. In stark contrast to the prophets of Baal, Elijah offers a simple prayer in verses 36 and 37. Though the words were simple, Elijah’s heart was sincere and committed. His prayer was fervent, and it produced results.

II Kings 19 records Hezikiah’s prayer as Jerusalem is under siege by Assyria. He lays his problems out before the Lord, physically bringing the ultimatum delivered to him. God delivers Jerusalem as a result of Hezekiah’s humble and honest prayer. In Daniel 6, Darius is persuaded to cast those who worship others to be cast into a den of lions. Despite this law, Daniel prays to God. He continued to worship God despite a threat to his life, but, in the end, God delivered His prayerful servant.

All of these individuals were mere men. They had no special powers; they had no superhuman qualities; their strength was in God. They had faith, and they communicated that faith in their prayer lives.

Prayer and Providence

In Esther 4:14, Mordecai is persuading Esther to intervene for the sake of the Jews. He tells her that, should she keep her peace, God will deliver the Jews regardless of her actions. He speculates, though, that she was placed in her circumstance for the very purpose of helping deliver the Jews. Philemon verse 15 suggests there is a possibility that Philemon’s escape as a slave was for the purpose of his learning the Bible. Paul is inspired, and he cannot say for sure whether or not God has intervened in this. He only admits a possibility.

We cannot know for certain God’s role in our circumstances, in our luck, and in our opportunities, but we can know this: When we are blessed, we should thank God. When we have opportunities to spread God’s cause, we should seize that opportunity.

Conclusion

We are told to pray without ceasing (II Thessalonians 5:17). Jesus teaches a parable that illustrates how we should pray persistently and consistently (Luke 18:1-8). However, sometimes things do not turn out as we would like. Still, Hebrews 4:14-16 reminds us that prayer still directs our attention toward God, and it reminds us that our strength is in God, and we need Him in every aspect of our lives. Furthermore, even when situations are troublesome, prayer helps us obtain the grace we need to help us overcome these troubles.

By Tim Smelser

Tags: prayer, faith, providence