Genesis 50:20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good,…
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.
I am now a little over four weeks in my new space… By the grace of God I have unpacked a plethora of
While I finished the last of the boxes, I recently found myself unpacking something less tangible… Old emails, (they take up a fair amount of data space - needed for those updates…). I thought I had deleted at least two years of emails some time ago, but to my surprise, I was able to go to what was unearthed in 2014. Yes, over ten years ago. Egad! Removing those two years worth of emails, just made new space for the older past to come forward. Sometimes when you create a void something is quick to move in and fill it. Funny how that works… at just the right time. Cleaning.
I had email correspondence from my ex from when he was teaching in China. Updates of his activities and his new life in a new country. Then there were the emails leading up to the divorce in 2016… I didn’t realize that they were yet taking up space. The level of betrayal still astounds me, but in surveying the past in light of the present… What was meant for evil - total selfishness; Father God turned everything around for His goodly purposes and so ultimately my good… It just took a wilderness journey to arrive on this side of the promise - I now get to share about what Father God has done for me and what the production of art can bring for the soul.
Lesson: Don’t allow trauma define who you are.
Nothing can stop what Father God intends - His purposes. Look at the life of the Joseph from Genesis, Jacob/Israel’s favored son. Genesis 37, 39-48. Joseph’s brothers, thought they could rid themselves of the favorite son and dreamer brother of wild dreams. Though Joseph did not seem to have any indication of the interpretation of his youthful dreams. Scripture does not speak of him lauding his future status over his brothers… Perhaps his mindset, was, “Hey my brothers, listen to the craziest of dreams I had the other night…”. In his youth, Joseph didn’t seem to have a sense of reading his audience either, especially since their father had just made a special coat - just for him. It didn’t matter to the brothers that their father was showing an expression of love for the wife he loved however; to their son… The brothers just saw the objectification of their own mothers, via their father Jacob/Israel and his favored son - Joseph.
They sold unsuspecting Joseph into slavery, (they had planned to kill him, but chose to make a profit)… Which sent Joseph into a wilderness journey of sorts. Scripture does not state that Joseph became bitter or hateful, but he became the best at what was dealt him. He became a dutiful slave and prospered his owner, Potiphar. Sadly, Mrs. Potiphar lusted after Jospeh, which he refused to submit to her entreaties, because he knew he would be sinning against God, (chap 39:9). However, she became a scornful woman, of course, and Joseph was wrongfully jailed for being a man of honor, (which I think Potiphar knew in his heart, because he could have had him killed on the spot)… But again Jospeh, made the best of his new dire circumstances - jail and prospered, yet there, (verse 23 of chap 39).
I’ve got to insert an aside question: How many folks do what’s right and still end up on the wrong end of circumstances and sadly, so give up and/or give in? Conversely, how many folks purposefully do what’s wrong and seemingly end up in the good of life? Truly the devil’s schemes to bring as many to his end rather than Father God’s - It does come down to choices and unwavering adherence to one’s purpose aka perseverance.
Finish the race well.
Back to the study…
Still a jail is still a jail and there is no freedom therein, however, eventually Joseph caught the eye of Pharaoh and was put in charge of the kingdom and by chapter 41 and 42, everything was turned completely around, (Chapter 42 is a when everything was turned around for Job as well… and so for the believer there is always ultimately a chapter 42 - a time when things turn for the better).
In chapters 42-45 Joseph does much weeping, especially in chapter 45. It is clear to at least Joseph that God sent him before Jacob/Israel, (the family), “to preserve life.” In verse 24 Joseph sends his brothers back to retrieve their father and all their households… “So he sent his brethren away, and they departed: and he said unto them, See that ye fall not out by the way.” (This sounds like an admonition - don’t mess up).
For this study, (because every time I read scripture I sometimes get new perspectives - different or clearer understanding, like a different facet of a beautiful gem), I see that Joseph did not consider his present circumstances: the hatred of his brothers, the pit, the slavery, the lies from Mrs. Potiphar, the jail, all of the evil he experienced as potential definitions of his identity. He knew early on he had value and was loved and saw himself as a servant foremost of God - no other man nor man-made god. Settling for one’s circumstances, while they maybe beyond your control, (in that you were not the cause of your situation), does not need to be one’s only view of life going forward or in some cases life going downward.
Cleaning out old emails that popped up as reminders of a past life are just that -old emails that have no meaning at all. Now deleted but retrieved data space for something new. The devil would have loved to steal and destroy my dreams, …Joseph’s dreams. He would have loved to have the promise of our ultimate Deliverer, Jesus Christ, to be killed in the pit of despair with Joseph if he had given into hopelessness. All tricks of the devil are to rob, destroy and kill joy, hope and life. The devil tried so hard with Joseph, but he, (Joseph), kept his focus and did not allow his circumstances to ever define who he was and so fall short. Was it a walk in the park for Joseph or anyone whose life is upended because of sin? Of course not. Your life doesn’t even have to be totally a mess - some believers loose hope daily over little things, but Who do you allow to define you, to name you? Where is your hope? Who do you know to be true? What are you believing? It’s only one of two choices. Either God or the devil.
Seek God in His Word and pray without ceasing.
Soli Deo Gloria
Nina
