Stepping in the Light

“Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.” Exodus 1:8

God used Joseph to preserve his family and the nation of Egypt during a severe famine. Before the seven years of famine, the people in Egypt owned land, raised cattle, and produced crops each year. During the seven years of plenty, Joseph collected twenty percent of all of the crops from the people and placed it in storehouses. During the seven years of famine, the people bought food from Joseph until all of their money was gone. When the people ran out of money, they traded their cattle to Joseph for food. When their cattle was gone, they traded in their land. Finally, they sold themselves as slaves to Pharaoh so that they would not starve to death. By the time the famine had ended, Pharaoh owned practically everything and everybody in Egypt. It is difficult for us to imagine the impact that this would have had, but it may have created the largest economic gap between a ruler and his people in all of human history. Each successive pharaoh would have continued to benefit from the system that Joseph implemented. This new pharaoh still would have been enjoying the benefits of Joseph’s work, but he was unaware of what this great Israelite had done for him. His lack of appreciation led him to enslave the very people who had given him such great power. We all benefit greatly from the vision, expertise, and sacrifice of others. How sad it is when we fail to appreciate the investments that others have made to make our lives better!

“But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.” Genesis 50:20

Joseph’s brothers came to him after the death of their father Jacob and begged him to forgive them for the way that they had treated him. Jacob had feared that Joseph would retaliate against them after his passing, and he had told them to ask Joseph for forgiveness after he died. Joseph assured his brothers that their apologies were unnecessary, because he had already forgiven them. His brothers were undoubtedly surprised to hear this, because all of them (including their father) had assumed that the only reason Joseph was being kind to them was because of their father’s presence. It did not seem possible to them that Joseph could have actually forgiven them.

The basis of Joseph’s thinking was revealed in his reply. “Ye thought evil against me, but God meant it unto good.” Joseph was not looking at his brothers’ actions, but rather, he was looking at God’s intentions. Everyone experiences hardships in life. At some point, we all are mistreated in some way. During those difficult times, it will help us to keep from getting bitter if we remember that God is in control and that He has our best interests at heart. It will help us to forgive those who have wronged us if we will focus on the fact that God has a plan for our lives, and that, while they may have meant it for evil, God is working all things together for good.

“But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” Matthew 13:23

In the Parable of the Sower, there are four types of soil: the wayside, stony places, thorns, and good ground. Three out of four of these germinated seed, but only one brought forth fruit. As Jesus explained the characteristics of those who are represented by the good ground, He pointed out that these people hear the Word, understand the Word, and bear fruit. Could you say that you are doing all three of these things? Of course, we must hear and understand the Gospel in order to be saved, but we must continue to hear and understand the Word in order to bear fruit. Today I handed a lady a Gospel tract and she immediately swore and threw the tract to the ground. Right now, she would fit into the “wayside” category in this parable. I pray that God will work on her heart and that one day she will be willing to accept the Gospel. Last Saturday, my wife and I were talking with a lady and her adult son at their door, and they both sweetly prayed to receive Christ. Time will tell in their lives whether or not they will allow stony ground or thorns to choke out the growth in their spiritual lives and prevent them from bearing fruit. Ultimately, it is up to each of us to decide what category we want to live in. If we want to be considered “good ground” and bear fruit in our lives, we must hear, understand, and obey God’s Word.

“O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.” Matthew 12:34-35

God is more concerned with our thoughts and words than most of us realize. We have a tendency to think that if we are doing good things (and refraining from doing bad things) we are pleasing God. The Pharisees prided themselves in the lives they lived. They were very careful to give the right impression to others with their actions. They always wanted to be in the right place at the right time. They wanted to be seen doing good deeds and keeping the ceremonial law, but they were not always so diligent about their thoughts and words. Just before Jesus said this to them, He was accused of being possessed with a devil. Jesus had cast a demon out of a man who had been both blind and unable to speak. When the people saw that the demon was cast out and that the man could see and speak, they exclaimed that Jesus was the son of David, the Messiah. The Pharisees refused to accept that Jesus could possibly be the Promised One. The more the people believed in Him, the more frustrated they became. Their accusations against Jesus were not based in truth and love. They arose out of hearts filled with envy and hatred. Our thoughts define who we are. God wants us to fill our hearts and minds with truth, righteousness, and love. When we do, it will be evident to everyone around us.

“And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.” Genesis 41:16

Pharaoh had a dream, and none of his wise men could tell him what it meant. When Pharaoh heard that there was a Hebrew prisoner who could interpret dreams, he sent for him right away. When the messenger came for Joseph, I wonder what he was thinking. I wonder how much the messenger told Joseph about what Pharaoh wanted and how Joseph felt about the prospect of standing before the king. I wonder if he thought about the dreams that he interpreted in the prison for Pharaoh’s servants. I wonder if he thought about the dreams that he had as a teenager. I wonder if he got nervous thinking about appearing before Pharaoh, who had the power of life and death over him. Joseph had experienced more than his fair share of hardship since his brothers had sold him into slavery. Perhaps now he would have the opportunity to turn things around. Now people would see that he had a talent that made him special; one that made him extremely valuable. If Joseph had been thinking that way, this would have been his opportunity to let the world know how special he was. But instead of pointing out his own value, Joseph gave all of the glory to God. “It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.” Joseph immediately let Pharaoh know that God was the source of any help he could provide. Joseph acknowledged God in this extraordinary situation, and God used it to direct Joseph’s path to the palace.

“And he asked Pharaoh’s officers that were with him in the ward of his lord’s house, saying, Wherefore look ye so sadly to day?” Genesis 40:7

Joseph was in prison. His brothers had sold him to a band of Midianites, and the Midianites sold him as a slave to Potiphar, the captain of the guard for Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Potiphar’s wife had lied about Joseph, and Potiphar had thrown him in prison. Before long, the keeper of the prison began to give Joseph responsibilities within the prison. One day, when Joseph saw two of Pharaoh’s officers who were imprisoned there, he thought that they looked sad. He asked them, “Wherefore look ye so sadly to day?” Try to put yourself in Joseph’s situation. He was many miles from home. His brothers had sold him into slavery and told their father that he was dead. He was in prison. It seems that he would have had every excuse to be sad, and the same was true of the other prisoners. They had been doing important jobs for Pharaoh and had lost them because of something that they had done. But instead of being sad and depressed, Joseph was happy. In spite of the circumstances, he not only kept his own spirits up, but he was determined to keep everyone else around him encouraged!

How is your attitude today? Are you happy? Is it obvious? You can be happy today if you decide to be. Why not let Joseph’s example challenge you to always have a great attitude?

“And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.” Genesis 37:5

The story of Joseph’s life is one of the most powerful examples of perseverance through difficult circumstances in the entire Bible. Joseph’s father favored him above his brothers and they hated him because of it. Then Joseph had a dream. In his dream, he and his brothers were binding sheaves of wheat in the field. Joseph’s sheaf stood upright, and his brothers’ sheaves came and bowed down to it. When Joseph told his brothers the dream, they hated him even more.

Joseph’s brothers did not know that God was preparing him to deliver them and their entire region of the world from starvation during a devastating seven-year famine. If they could have seen what was going to happen in the future, they would have been very happy about Joseph’s dream, but none of them knew exactly what the dream meant, not even Joseph.

None of us are likely to have anything quite as dramatic occur in our lives as what happened to Joseph, but we do have aspirations, hopes, and dreams. Many times God uses those dreams to guide us into His plan for our lives. You may not save an entire nation from starvation, but God has something important for you to do, and He will guide and protect you as you carry it out. He is working to accomplish great things through your aspirations, even when they seem impossible.

“Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” Matthew 10:16

When Jesus sent His disciples out on their own for the first time, He gave them careful instructions as to where they were to go and what they were to do. He wanted them to preach a simple message, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” He gave them power to perform miracles, told them not to take provisions for their travels, and warned them that they would face persecution.

In the middle of His challenge to them, He admonished them to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. These two creatures are about as opposite as you could imagine, but Christ used each one as an example of a single characteristic that would be important as they followed Him. A snake doesn’t have arms, legs, or feet, but somehow is able to move about and stay alive. Sometimes, as we follow the Lord, it seems that we don’t have everything that some would deem necessary to succeed; but with His wisdom, we can find a way to serve the Lord effectively. Doves are graceful in their movements and harmless in their interactions with other creatures. Christians should be gentle people. We should be kind in our speech and compassionate in our nature. As we work to build these characteristics in our lives, we will find opportunities to serve others and strengthen our testimony as followers of Christ.

“But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.” Matthew 9:36

We like to think of ourselves as being capable, resourceful, and self-sufficient. We tend to believe that we can make our own way in life, and that if we work hard enough we can accomplish anything we set our minds to. The way that God sees us is quite different from that. When Jesus saw the multitudes, He saw them as sheep. Sheep are helpless animals. They don’t know how to defend themselves. They need someone to help them find food and water. They need someone to provide shelter from the elements, a place for them to sleep at night, and protection from predators. They need someone to shear their wool and look after their general health. They need a shepherd.

When Jesus sees us, He sees our need of a shepherd. We need sustenance, protection, and guidance. He is the Great Shepherd, and He wants to provide for us. He knows that we need Him, but He allows us to choose how closely we follow Him. Of course, the first step is to accept Him as Saviour. After we are saved, He promises to give us everlasting life. A guarantee of living in heaven forever provides a complete assurance, and that assurance can lead to self-sufficiency. We must remember that after we are saved, we are still sheep. We still need our Shepherd. We need Him for everything. We must constantly look to Him as our Great Shepherd.

“And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Matthew 9:10-13

Self-righteousness, in its essence, is thinly veiled pride; and it separates us from God. In their efforts to please God and live holy lives, the Pharisees lost their focus on the original object of their affections and began to be enamored with their own goodness. They had been right in wanting to please God, but they were wrong in trying to impress everyone else with how well they were doing at it.

When the Pharisees came to Jesus, they were skeptical about Who He claimed to be and the validity of the miracles which He performed. Jesus did not fit into their private universe of godliness. He healed people on the Sabbath day, a day in which no manner of work was to be performed. Now they saw Him spending time with publicans and sinners, people that they would never associate with. They were convinced of their own goodness. They did not need any help, and that attitude was precisely what separated them from Jesus.