Genesis 37:28

New King James Version

“Then Midianite traders passed by; so, the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt.”

For Encouragement
I had a conversation with a lady over the phone recently. She sounded disturbed about certain things happening in her home. Her husband had seized to be the prayer firebrand he was before. The children were showing behaviors that were not typical of their Christian upbringing. The Lord had nudged her to leave the office that day and devote herself to prayer and consecration of her home.

Solomon counsels we catch the little foxes before they ruin our vineyards (Songs of Songs 2:15). Those little rascals can be elusive until the Lord opens our eyes to see their subtle attrition in the moral consciousness of a family. Many Christian homes are under this demonic invasion but remain oblivious to the carnage.

But there is hope in Christ, who gives us spiritual sensitivity through the Holy Spirit to discern and take remedial action.

Joseph’s crises started this way in his parental home. It manifested in the sibling rivalry that boiled over into his sale into slavery by his brothers. The Eden war had invaded Jacob’s home with jealousy, hatred, murder, deception, pain, and sorrow as part of the Satanic demolition project.

How could Joseph find hope in a foreign Egypt and the slave market but for God? He is the source of our hope.

He showed up and sent Joseph to Potiphar’s house as overseer of his household (Genesis 39:1-6). When the enemy struck again (7-19), the favor of God followed him and established him as a supervisor in the prison to which Potiphar banished him (20-23).

When the cupbearer of Pharaoh forgot Joseph and his request for royal kindness, his hope of getting out of the prison crashed (40:14-15, 23).

However, the Almighty showed up and played His providential hand, lifting Joseph into Pharaoh’s palace as Prime Minister of Egypt (41:41-44).

What a mighty and compassionate God we serve!

So, what kept Joseph throughout his multiple crises? His faith in the God of his fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Joseph believed in the dream God gave him that triggered his woes and trusted in the promise he received through it (37:5-11). Joseph looked forward to its fulfillment and determined to live a separate life for God’s glory (39:8-12).

The lady I spoke about earlier has her hope in Christ to restore spiritual health and sanity in her home again. She has put on the whole armor of God and taken her stand against the schemes of the devil, and she will prevail (Ephesians 6:10-18).

You, too, can find hope in God’s unfailing love and prevail in your crises. As He says to you today,

“Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).

Christ will exalt Himself in your crises. As the Lord Almighty, Israel’s God, He is your fortress if you trust your situation to Him (11). All glory to Him. Amen.

Reminder:

“Those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:31).

Shalom.