Mon.’s Devo - Joseph’s Favor

Read: Genesis 39:1-41:16; Matthew 12:46-13:23; Psalm 17:1-15; Proverbs 3:33-35 Joseph lived in Potiphar’s house and proved himself to be so good at administration that Potiphar put him in charge over everything about his household. God caused everything Joseph did to prosper. *** Potiphar’s wife lusted after Joseph and was constantly after him to lie with her. Joseph refused, but she was relentless. One day, Joseph had to leave his garment and flee to get away from her. She kept his garment and when her husband came home, she accused of Joseph of trying to rape her. Potiphar threw Joseph in the Pharaoh’s prison. *** In prison, God gave Joseph favor with the chief guard. The chief guard put Joseph in charge of his section of the prison and once again God caused him to prosper where he was. *** One day, the Pharaoh’s cup-bearer and baker were put in Joseph’s part of the prison. Apparently a plot to poison the Pharaoh had been found out. The two people who could have been a part of it were put in prison till they could investigate which was guilty. *** The cup-bearer and the baker both had a dream the same night. Jospeh noticed they were troubled the next day and found out it was because of their dreams. Joseph told them that interpretations belong to the Lord and asked them to share their dreams. *** The cupbearer told his first. He had dreamed about three branches of vines that budded, blossomed and produced grapes. In his dream, he pressed the grapes into the Pharaoh’s mouth. Joseph interpreted his dream. He told him that in three days, the Pharaoh would restore him to his job and he would go back to serving his wine. Joseph asked him to please plead his cause when he got out because he was in prison for a bogus cause. He had done nothing wrong. *** When the baker heard his interpretation, he decided to tell his dream. He had dreamed that he had three cake baskets on his head and the birds were eating out of the top basket. Joseph told him that in three days he would be brought to the Pharaoh and hung on a tree. The birds would eat his flesh. *** Three days later was the Pharaoh’s birthday and the two servants were brought from prison and their fate was decided exactly like their dreams had foretold. But, the cup-bearer forgot about Joseph until two years later. *** The Pharaoh had a dream that disturbed him, then the cup-bearer remembered Joseph and told the Pharaoh about him. Joseph was called for. He shaved, changed his clothes, and came before the Pharaoh. When the Pharaoh asked him if he could interpret his dream, Joseph told him that He couldn’t, but God would give him a favorable answer. *** A few things stick out to me about Joseph. We know he was a type of Christ and he was wrongfully put in the pit, then in prison, yet he never took the stance of a victim. He always continued to use his gifts to prosper where he was. He blessed his enemies and treated them like his own family. When he came out of prison, he wanted to honor the Pharaoh and his country so he shaved his head. This was an abomination in his culture to shave their head. He also changed out of his Hebrew clothes and wore the clothes of the Egyptians. Sometimes we are too religious and can’t change with society in ways that can be more effective for God’s cause. Joseph was willing to do this - all for the glory of God. *** In Matthew, Jesus was in the throes of ministry when his mother and brothers came to him. Maybe Joseph had just died and they wanted him as the first-born to come and run the family business, who knows. Jesus, like Joseph, made it clear that his followers were his family now. His family were those who did the will of God. *** Jesus told his followers about the parable of the seed and the sower. Later, his disciples were alone with him and they asked him why he taught in parables, Jesus explained that they didn’t have eyes to see and ears to hear and the mysteries of the kingdom were not for them. He told his disciples that they were blessed because they did have eyes to see and ears to hear. Then he explained the parable to them. *** In the parable the sower scattered seed which fell on four different places - the path, on rocky ground, among thorns and on good soil. The seed could not survive in the first three places because the soil was not conducive for survival. But the good soil was ready and prepared to receive the seed. The seed was the Word of God that Jesus, the sower was throwing out to them. Only those who had prepared their hearts could receive it. They would bear fruit and it would multiply in them. *** Lord, may the soil of our hearts be open to receive your Word. May we produce fruit that remains and may we learn, like Joseph to prosper even when things aren’t going the way we planned. May we have favor with you and with man.