OH Joseph

As of late, a deep appreciation for historical “Bible people” has grown in me. I will admit, the Old Testament used to bore me, and I felt like I had heard those stories a billion times. But gosh, now that I have committed to really READING the OT, I am seeing the accounts with a different lens. It is amazing how much we can LEARN from people in the Bible (both in the OT and NT). And to see how God works in those that were willing to listen is just grand. I value the fact that these folks God worked through were sinners just like you and me, and most of them screwed up—a LOT. But God kept with them because they kept with God.

Here is an excerpt on Joseph—whose story is found Genesis 30-50:

“Perhaps you can identify with one or more of these hardships Joseph experienced: he was betrayed and deserted by his family; he was exposed to sexual temptation, and punished for doing the right thing; he endured a long imprisonment and was forgotten by those he helped. As you read his story, note what Joseph did in each case. His positive response transformed each setback into a step forward. He didn’t spend much time asking “Why?” he went and whatever he did, God was with him. When you’re facing a setback, the beginning of a Joseph-like attitude is to acknowledge that God is with you. There is nothing like His presence to shed new light on a dark situation…what matters is not so much the events or circumstances of life, but our response to them.”

Enough said.