Sizzling Pasta...

It's only sizzling because its so hot outside! Yikes!! But I do like summer...

Last Sunday our discussion centered around what we learn from Joseph's time in prison in the house of Potiphar. Talk about someone unjustly accused! Joseph was a victim of some tough circumstances that certainly seem "undeserved". He was sold into slavery by his brothers, and even if he was a favored son, he did not deserve to be sold. Now in Genesis 40 we find him in prison after doing everything he could to do the right thing in the incident with Potiphar's wife. As far as I can discern, Joseph is pretty much a guy who has done pretty much nothing wrong and has had his life turned upside down. And yet, what we see here is a man who is faithful to God and more concerned with others than himself. If it's me, I am likely to sit around and tell anyone who will even come close to listening about how I did nothing wrong and yet here I am in this prison! So what we see here is a man with a remarkable attitude and a mindset that is worthy of our emulation.

So how did he do it? How do you keep from becoming bitter or angry or overwhelmed or indignant or cynical or...... the list of negative attributes goes on and on.

Well, I think we did a nice job of analyzing that on Sunday, and for those who could not be there, I will briefly recap...

To be like Joseph, there are some things that we must believe very deeply. Among them...

1. God is Present

The presence of difficulty does not equate to the absence of God. So often we feel, when difficulty comes, that God has "stepped aside" somehow. We don't go clear to the point of thinking God does not exist, but we think He is "not there anymore". We have to get over that one. Deut. 31:6, Joshua 1:5, Heb. 13:5 are jut a few of the scriptures that remind us of the constant presence of God .

2. God Delivers

The difficulty does not last forever, and it is God who moves us out of our difficulty and forward to a new place. We do not get the details and we don't have much to say about the timing, but if we pursue Godly living, He moves us on to new places. "Endurance" is often a better keyword than "escape".

3. God Provides

God provides the mindset we need. We, (at least I), marvel at how Joseph can be in prison while innocent and still say things like, "Why are your faces so sad today?" We often do not see ourselves as capable of such thinking, but the good news is, we don't have to be. This is one of those things that falls under the transforming power of the Spirit.

4. God Exceeds

... our expectations. No matter how much we may love and trust another person, they are just a person. Joseph surely thought that the cupbearer would help him out in Genesis 40- but that didn't happen for 2 years! That would have been enought to send me off the deep end. But Joseph trusted God who brought about an end to the story that was greater than anything Joseph imagined. Expectations are such dangerous things. But I do believe that we can expect a great deal from God and I don't think we will be disappointed.

5. It's God's Story

The other thing I think we can take away from chapter 40 is that Joseph was careful to tell the whole story that was revealed to him by God. He told the cupbearer the good news, but he also told the baker the bad news. He did so because he knew that the truth had come from God and that he had better not alter it or leave anything out. I think we have the challenge and responsibility to do the same as we bring the news of Jesus to the world.

Got to scoot!

Just Keep Swimming....

Jon