Sun.’s Devo - Patience in Trials

Read: Gen. 38-40
Right in the middle of Joseph’s story we get this narrative about Judah and Tamar. Judah left his own people to get a woman from the Canaanites. Even though this was not acceptable behavior, God used it to bring Tamar into the line of Jesus. She and Ruth were both Gentile women who were privileged to become Jews by marriage. Tamar’s first son was Pharez which means “a breach” which he was a breach in the Jewish line. Zarah was the second twin whose name was Zarah. Zarah had the scarlet thread on his hand and his name means “a rising”. Most of us are part of this rising of Gentiles that have been branded with the blood of Jesus. Pharez went on to become a captain of thousands.
Joseph had to learn patience through the things he suffered. Everywhere Joseph went he did the right thing and when it looked like he was going to finally get ahead, he had the rug pulled out from under him. He was trusted by some, used by some and abused by others. I see this part of Joseph’s life as how Jesus wants to live through us. We have to choose to do the excellent thing even though we might not get the result we think we deserve. If we are faithful till the end, we will see the reward. Joseph’s end was far into the future. Because Joseph’s destiny was to be second in command of Egypt, he had to be purified by fire to be able to handle the responsibility. Everything he went through was to shape him into this leader.
In Chapter 40, the king must have found out about a plot to poison him because he was mad at his two food tasters. The cook would be in charge of the food he ate and the butler was always to taste his wine first for poison. They were both put in prison and the truth came out in the dream and retribution was served. Joseph was forgotten. Have you ever done some great thing for someone only to have the credit go to someone else? Then you know what Joseph was feeling. He sat in jail….waiting for two more years. I have found that God is more patient than we are!
Lord, help us to see our trials from Your perspective knowing that You work everything out for Your good.