Blessing In Another's House
July 13, 2015
Genesis 39:5 "From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph."
The story of Joseph is one of hope, turned sorrow, turned painful, turned redeemed. If you recall, Joseph had hopes of a future; he knew he was different from the time he was young. But his brothers, out of envy turned resentment, sold him as a slave in an effort to remove the future the Lord had for him. Joseph was locked in, not able to escape his situation. It was painful, saddening, even depressing. The future looked bleak for a huge or successful turnaround in his life. Joseph could have sat back and given up, letting his depression paralyze him. He could have become lazy since any amount of hard work would not net him a better future. Yet, despite the gloomy circumstances, Joseph worked hard in the position he was given; he work hard as a slave.
It says a great deal about Joseph's character. Despite the gloomy outlook, he still worked for a slaver but as unto the Lord; he put fortitude straight into the work of his hands even though the work was beneath him. He valued his relationship with the Lord and his standing among men, as he could affect it, more than he despised his situation. If I were Joseph, I would have despised those who owned me, those who forced me into labor, not wanting to see them prosper or willing to work hard for them. I would not want to see their lives blessed. Many of us would have found a way to work just hard enough to not get a beating. But not Joseph, he worked so diligently that the household of his master was blessed because of Joseph's efforts. Joseph wasn't just a good luck charm, but an actual blessing.
You could argue that the blessing came to his master's house simply because the Lord loved Joseph, as Joseph had a heart for the Lord. But if you read the Scripture it says that the house of Joseph's master was blessed when Joseph was put in charge of the work. It suggests Joseph's work ethic, attitude, fortitude, and wisdom were affecting the blessing, not just Joseph being present. The slaver, taking advantage of Joseph, was blessed on account of Joseph's work.
Joseph is the epitome of showing love toward your enemy. Joseph exemplifies the writing in Scripture teaching us to bless those who curse us. Joseph's life seemed cursed yet he did not call down those same curses from Heaven toward his enemies. No, Joseph worked hard for them, blessing their lives with every move he made. When was the last time someone cheated or wronged you and in turn you worked hard to make sure they were blessed? I cannot say I've ever gone out of my way to bless someone who stole from me. It is counter intuitive; that's for sure, but what the Lord requires from us nonetheless. Think of the last person who wronged you; now think of a way to bless their whole house. Putting those two thoughts into action could very well be the pinnacle of your Christian walk to date.
Don't take my word for it; look it up: Gen 37 & 39, Matt 5:44, Lk 6:28, Gal 6:7-9
The story of Joseph is one of hope, turned sorrow, turned painful, turned redeemed. If you recall, Joseph had hopes of a future; he knew he was different from the time he was young. But his brothers, out of envy turned resentment, sold him as a slave in an effort to remove the future the Lord had for him. Joseph was locked in, not able to escape his situation. It was painful, saddening, even depressing. The future looked bleak for a huge or successful turnaround in his life. Joseph could have sat back and given up, letting his depression paralyze him. He could have become lazy since any amount of hard work would not net him a better future. Yet, despite the gloomy circumstances, Joseph worked hard in the position he was given; he work hard as a slave.
It says a great deal about Joseph's character. Despite the gloomy outlook, he still worked for a slaver but as unto the Lord; he put fortitude straight into the work of his hands even though the work was beneath him. He valued his relationship with the Lord and his standing among men, as he could affect it, more than he despised his situation. If I were Joseph, I would have despised those who owned me, those who forced me into labor, not wanting to see them prosper or willing to work hard for them. I would not want to see their lives blessed. Many of us would have found a way to work just hard enough to not get a beating. But not Joseph, he worked so diligently that the household of his master was blessed because of Joseph's efforts. Joseph wasn't just a good luck charm, but an actual blessing.
You could argue that the blessing came to his master's house simply because the Lord loved Joseph, as Joseph had a heart for the Lord. But if you read the Scripture it says that the house of Joseph's master was blessed when Joseph was put in charge of the work. It suggests Joseph's work ethic, attitude, fortitude, and wisdom were affecting the blessing, not just Joseph being present. The slaver, taking advantage of Joseph, was blessed on account of Joseph's work.
Joseph is the epitome of showing love toward your enemy. Joseph exemplifies the writing in Scripture teaching us to bless those who curse us. Joseph's life seemed cursed yet he did not call down those same curses from Heaven toward his enemies. No, Joseph worked hard for them, blessing their lives with every move he made. When was the last time someone cheated or wronged you and in turn you worked hard to make sure they were blessed? I cannot say I've ever gone out of my way to bless someone who stole from me. It is counter intuitive; that's for sure, but what the Lord requires from us nonetheless. Think of the last person who wronged you; now think of a way to bless their whole house. Putting those two thoughts into action could very well be the pinnacle of your Christian walk to date.
Don't take my word for it; look it up: Gen 37 & 39, Matt 5:44, Lk 6:28, Gal 6:7-9
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