There is much to learn about the faith journey from Joseph’s story
Following last week’s post on Joseph, I thought I would do a short lesson on faith based on his story! First, however, how did Joseph’s story end?
As the second in command in Egypt, Joseph was able to convince Pharaoh to let his family move to Goshen and enjoy provisions from the abundant grain stocks. His brothers, however, remained doubtful about whether he would ever forgive them for what they did to him. Below is Joseph’s reaction.
Genesis 45: 5-8 “But don’t be upset, and don’t be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives. This famine that has ravaged the land for two years will last five more years, and there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors. So it was God who sent me here, not you! And he is the one who made me an adviser to Pharaoh—the manager of his entire palace and the governor of all Egypt.” (NLT)
Later on, after his father Jacob died, Joseph reassured his brothers with these words.
Genesis 50:20-21′ “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. No, don’t be afraid. I will continue to take care of you and your children.” So he reassured them by speaking kindly to them.’ (NLT)
Joseph had always believed that God had a purpose for him, and this faith kept him going through the tough times. Joseph’s faith journey was one of complete trust and dependence on God.
Where am I going with this? Simple – faith in God is all we need to accomplish all that he puts in our hands to do. Faith in God is what holds us up when the dark clouds are hovering over our lives. Faith in God gives us hope.
So, then, how should we travel this faith journey?
- Believe that with God, everything is possible.
Okay – there are times when I feel that some situations are impossible for God to sort out. Mary, the mother of Jesus, must have felt the same way just after the angel of God told her she would conceive, carry and give birth to the son of God! The angel was quick to reassure her with the following words.
Luke 1:37 “For with God nothing [is or ever] shall be impossible.” (AMP)
Imagine how Mary felt when she heard these words. Her faith was strengthened, she was encouraged, and she submitted herself to God’s will. Joseph did the same. He never once complained about his situation; instead, he trusted God and ended up earning the favor of Potiphar, the prison warden, and Pharaoh.
Even the most impossible of situations can be sorted out by our Father. All we need to do is believe in him!
- Do not doubt God.
I scoured the book of Genesis looking for a place where it said that Joseph doubted God – but there was none! Joseph did not question God for even one second.
James 1:6 “But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” (NIV)
An excellent lesson for us here. Faith in God must be completely doubt-free! Kick those doubts out of your mind by focusing entirely on God and trusting that he can complete what he has started in you.
- Have confidence that things will work out.
Did Joseph believe that everything would eventually work out? I believe he did! This faith is what kept him going until God’s plan for his life was fully revealed! Imagine – from the son of a shepherd to a ruler in Egypt, all because God wanted to preserve his chosen people! If Joseph had decided not to hang on until God worked everything out, the nation of Israel would have perished during the famine!
Hebrews 11:1 “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.”(NLT)
Having confidence that what you hope for will come to pass is not easy, but it is possible. If you, however, put your faith in God and let him handle things his way, you will have peace knowing that God has your back. Remember that God’s plans are for our good and not for disaster, to give us a future and a hope. Encouraging, right?
I would love to have a chat with Joseph and get to know how his faith journey was. Since that’s not possible now( for obvious reasons), I will encourage you to take a leaf from his journey and build a faith relationship with God – one where you trust in him regardless of the circumstances. The faith journey may not be easy, but the rewards are great!