Joseph

Key thought: Joseph as a mighty man of God. However, we can also view Joseph as: A man of a MIGHTY GOD.

Providence:
(1) Fate, chance, luck, destiny
(2) External circumstances/influences and in Joseph's case:
(3) Divine intervention

To be fated does not mean to be doomed. All of us have this free moral agency in us, to respond to our fate. We may be in a seemingly bad circumstance, but in this circumstance there are always two sides to how we can positively or negatively view it and handle it. Uncle Richard also shared with us the bible story on building our houses on the different foundations. "The rain came down and the floods went up... Will our houses come tumbling down? or will they stand firm amidst the beating and thundering storms? and the moral of the story is that even if we come from seemingly bad situations or family backgrounds... DON"T use it as an excuse to hinder our growth and our walks with God.

Joseph's introduction to God's providence:
- It was God's divine intervention that allowed him to be sold to Potipher
Can you imagine what it was like if Reuben had helped him back
home? He would then go back to being a shepherd boy.
- Joseph was also sent to jail, but in jail he was blessed and gained
favor
Likewise, God's divine intervention is present in our lives. One after another, chance after chance God gives to us His blessing. DON"T take it for granted!

Joseph is powerful and good-looking

Romans 6:11-14
"In the same way count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace."

* Let's use our power well and not to satisfy sinful desires.
* Absolute power corrupts ABSOLUTELY
* Our strength can be our weakness so take heed! Lest we fall.

James 4:7, 2 Tim 2:22, 1 Cor 6:18 all tell us to RESIST and FLEE from evil. "Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he falls." 1 Cor 10:12

The cruel reality of life is that "the heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who cn understand it?" Jer 17:9 Godly living does not equal a bed of roses. However, the comforting truth God says in Heb 13:5-6 is He will "Never leave us nor forske us." and we should all say with confidence that "the Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" Uncle Richard drew this allusion to God being like the moon, we may not always see it, but in fact, it is ALWAYS there. God is ALWAYS THERE for us.

So, if we put ourselves in Joseph's shoes, after being a slave, being hated by his brothers, being thrown into jail and everything in his world seemed to be crumbling down... will we still trust in God?