The beginning of a new year can
bring with it a gamut of emotions. Some feel a renewed sense of hope as they
anticipate new opportunities. Others may feel discouraged as they look back at
things unaccomplished, setbacks, and disappointments. Some may even feel fear;
fearful that the upcoming year will simply be a repeat of the previous year,
which left them bruised, broken and even bitter.
For those who may feel hopeless or
have feelings of anxiety as you look toward a new year, remember that nothing is ever wasted with God. Even
the difficult places and circumstances that He allowed you to walk through in
your previous seasons were still filled with purpose.
And we know that God causes
everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called
according to his purpose for them. (Romans 8:28 NLT)
God is still at work in your life, even in the midst of the difficult
seasons. He never stops working in your life. He allows us to experience tests
and trials that cause us to see Him and experience His grace in an amazing way.
Let us reflect on the life of
Joseph (Genesis 37-50). Joseph was his father's favorite, but his own brothers
hated him. He had vivid dreams, in which he was always exalted above his
brothers. Joseph was not shy about sharing these dreams with his family, either.
Because of this, Joseph's brothers hated him even more. As a matter of fact,
his brothers hated Joseph so much that they sold him to traders, who, in turn,
sold him as a slave in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of
the guard. And although Joseph was in the position of a lowly slave, God was
still with Him.
The LORD was with Joseph, so he
succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master.
Potiphar noticed this and realized that the LORD was with Joseph, giving him
success in everything he did. This pleased Potiphar, so he soon made Joseph his
personal attendant. He put him in charge of his entire household and everything
he owned. (Genesis 39:2-4 NLT)
Joseph had favor, even as a lowly
slave. Ladies, the favor of God upon your life is not dictated by circumstances. God allows even the hard things to
work for your good, just as we see with Joseph.
Joseph served faithfully until
Potiphar's wife falsely accused him of assaulting her. Then, he was placed in prison.
Yet, even in that dark cell gate of forced solitude, God was still with him.
But the LORD was with Joseph in
the prison and showed him his faithful love. And the LORD made Joseph a
favorite with the prison warden. Before long, the warden put Joseph in charge
of all the other prisoners and over everything that happened in the prison. The
warden had no more worries, because Joseph took care of everything. The LORD
was with him and caused everything he did to succeed. (Genesis 39:21-23 NLT)
While Joseph was still a prisoner,
God used him to interpret Pharaoh's dreams regarding Egypt. No one else was
able to interpret them. And, because Pharaoh saw that Joseph was wise and
discerning, he placed him in a position in which he ruled over the entire land
of Egypt. This made Joseph second only to Pharaoh.
You will be in charge of my
court, and all my people will take orders from you. Only I, sitting on my
throne, will have a rank higher than yours.” Pharaoh said to
Joseph, “I
hereby put you in charge of the entire land of Egypt.” Then Pharaoh removed
his signet ring from his hand and placed it on Joseph’s
finger. He dressed him in fine linen clothing and hung a gold chain around his
neck. Then he had Joseph ride in the chariot reserved for his
second-in-command. And wherever Joseph went, the command was shouted, “Kneel down!” So Pharaoh put Joseph
in charge of all Egypt. (Genesis 41:40-43 NLT)
Pretty amazing promotion, right? When Joseph was seventeen years old, God
showed him through dreams and visions that he would be raised up. However, he
never showed him what it would cost and what he would have to go through. God
also showed him purpose, but He did not show Joseph his personal road of
preparation.
I know that God has given all of us
awesome visions and dreams, but if we knew the road of preparation that God has
prepared for us, some of us would without a doubt turn around. We would choose
less bumpy paths or even the more scenic route.
After we travel the paths prepared
for us, they prepare us for a greater purpose- a purpose that we do not always
see at the beginning. The God who sees
the end from the beginning sees your expected end.
God allowed Joseph to walk through
difficult places, and worked all of it together for Joseph's good. Joseph had
to be in Egypt because it was part of a much bigger plan, which he even shares
with his brothers. (Please read Genesis 45:5-8)
Though you cannot see the end now,
know that God does. Even in the difficult places of life, God's favor is
causing all things to work for your good. Trust Him as you walk along your road
of preparation. The Lord Himself goes
before you.
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