Joseph

A Quick Look: Genesis 39: 1 – 2

Really Read It: Genesis 37: 12 – 36 and Genesis 39: 1 – 6

Memorize: Philippians 2: 14 – 15 Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.

Joseph’s life was great in the beginning. He was born into a rich family, and he was his dad’s favorite kid. There were some tough years when his mom died, his brothers sold him as a slave, and he spent some time in prison. But Joseph had a great life in the end. He married into a high-class Egyptian family and got a job as the boss of a country. He lived to be a very old man and even met some of his great, great grandchildren before he died.

Joseph had many good years, but the most important years of his life were the tough years. God used Joseph to save at least two countries: Egypt and Israel. God used Joseph because of what he did in the tough years.

I am sure that Joseph had it worse than any of you. How many years of counseling would an American kid get if his mom died and his brothers hated him so much that they sold him? But Joseph didn’t turn into a useless whiner. He worked hard as a slave, and he became great. Just when things were starting to look good for Joseph, he was put in prison for nothing. But he worked hard as a prisoner and he became great. Though it all, he followed God’s ways. Through it all, he followed God’s leading. Though it all, he worshipped the Lord.

Joseph won the prize for whining and complaining. (That prize is awarded for lowest score just like golf.) And Joseph did that on purpose. A lot of kids think that whining just comes out of them when something bad happens. Whining doesn’t just come out. You can choose to whine or you can choose to stop it.

I went to a summer camp where one of the rules was: No Whining or Complaining. All of the other rules were normal things to keep life safe and boring, but that rule was stuck in there as if all of the kids could choose to follow or break that rule. And they could. The kids were great whiners with, “It’s too hot,” “I don’t want to play turtle tag,” and “this camp is for babies” until the camp boss showed up. They could turn off the whining like turning off the lights. And you can too.

Your words are so important. Make a choice to speak good words, encouraging words, faith words, God’s words, Kingdom advancing words. You could carry a little paper and pencil with you today and count. Make a tally mark every time you say something that makes God’s kingdom get bigger. Put a mark any time you say something good about God. Put a mark any time you tell a person something that could bring them closer to God. Any time you stop something that presses down the Kingdom of God count that too. How many Kingdom words can you say in one day? How many words that build up more life of Jesus can you say in one week? We never hear of Joseph counting his Kingdom words, but if he did he would have been a tough guy to beat.

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Nathan is amazed to see God move in power every week at his church. You can see what is happening: http://www.worldrevivalchurch.com

You can find more of Nathan’s writing on lulu and helium.