The
Lord was with Joseph and he prospered…
Wonderful
words. We believe them. We count on them for our own lives. But, often that’s
as far as it goes.
Life is
filled with blessings. The source isn’t always clear. Sometimes blessings seem
to be the result of our own hard work. Sometimes blessings seem to
come from family or friends…or employers. Joseph worked for Potiphar
and lived in his house. When his master saw that the Lord was
with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Potiphar
put him in charge of his household and he entrusted to his care everything he
owned. From the time he put him in charge of his
household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the household of the
Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar
had, both in the house and in the field. So he
left in Joseph’s care everything he had; “with Joseph in charge, he
did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate”.
Practically
speaking, it was Joseph’s house. He could have chosen to view himself as a “self-made”
man or he could have credited Potiphar for his success. Either way, he was
a big deal. Even Potiphar’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come
to bed with me!”
Here’s
where it gets interesting. Most of us would say “I can’t do that. Potiphar
has given me everything I have. I won’t insult him like this, or betray
his trust.” From a human perspective we would be right.
Not
Joseph. He understood that if God prospered him he was then under God’s
authority and control. Joseph didn’t even think about Potiphar. He correctly regarded
Potiphar as nothing more than a tool in God’s hand. Therefore, he was of no
consequence when Joseph made decisions about right and wrong.
This is
important because the world is full of “Potiphar’s wives“, people who
tempt us to misbehave. What if that person is a person of earthly influence?
Are we more likely to give in? Of course.
Or, we
could live like Joseph and view these as people of no consequence.
Live
boldly out there today…
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