The Joseph Story

Written by John Grant

“All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5:18

Recently, we attended a drama presentation of the story of Joseph and his family. The Bible story became alive to me as I witnessed one of the greatest stories of reconciliation.

God prepares His servants in many ways to accomplish His purpose. The story of Joseph is repeated every day in the lives of His people. The circumstances may be different, but the results are the same. God trains His servants through sometimes difficult “boot camps.” When that training is complete, He places them in strategic places to be a provider-both physically and spiritually.

Joseph in the Bible is one of the great heroes of the Old Testament. What separated him from others was his absolute trust in God, regardless of what happened to him. He is a shining example of what can happen when a person surrenders to God and obeys completely. Joseph must have wondered why he was being punished for doing the right thing. But, out of much adversity, Joseph saved the twelve tribes of Israel, God’s chosen people.

Is God preparing you? Do not fret at the difficult training ground you may be required to endure. He has a plan. If you’ll allow Him to carry out His plan, you will be privileged to be used by the Master’s hand.

Joseph must have wondered how long would he be treated wrong for doing right, while miles away a grieving father wondered if he would ever see his son alive again.

Few great accomplishments come easy or quickly, but as an athlete prepares for competition, so too must those chosen to serve God be conditioned for their mission. And while they condition, they must have patience. For Joseph it took many years before justice and reconciliation was received.

The psalmist said it best in Psalm 27:13-14, “I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”

Question: Are you willing to wait and prepare for God to do a work in you?

Watch: How will you steward what God has given you?

http://powertochange.com/blogposts/2012/11/24/the-joseph-story/