Focus Chapters:
- Genesis 42-44
- Genesis 45:1-15
Standout Verse(s):
THE ACTION
Genesis 45:3-4 NLT
“I am Joseph!” he said to his brothers. “Is my father still alive?” But his brothers were speechless! They were stunned to realize that Joseph was standing there in front of them. “Please, come closer,” he said to them. So they came closer. And he said again, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into slavery in Egypt.”
THE REACTION
Genesis 4:3-7 NLT
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.
Observation (s):
- All that Joseph went through was a part of God’s plan to ensure His people and others were provided for and kept safe during the famine. Millions of lives were dependent on Joseph’s future coming to fruition and Joseph believing in God’s promises about his future.
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.
AND
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.
Application:
God has a plan! There is a reason why, you, a Christian and follower of Christ, are going through these trials. Once God has proclaimed your future, believe that your fiery paths are leading you straight to that future. Joseph was sold into slavery and thrown into prison because God knew of the future famine and wanted to ensure His people and others were provided for. The fruition of Joseph’s future saved millions!
Not only this, learn to listen, understand and believe the messages and assurances that God sends to you about your future. If God says it, you best believe it will be so! Remember that hundreds of years before Joseph’s birth, God told Abraham that his descendants would end up in Egypt! Now consider Joseph’s dreams from his younger years. God provided Joseph with visions of His future years before it came into being. I now realise that Joseph taught us an important strategy:
- Believe – Keep God’s promises at the forefront of our minds always
- Endure – Use God’s promises as a means of encouragement and comfort during your trials.
- Proclaim – Acknowledge God’s plan and foresight during and at the end of your journey.
God’s promises are sure! God has a plan! Believe. Endure. Proclaim.
