DOES GOD BRING US ADVERSITY? (GEN. 39:20)
THE LIFE STORY OF JOSEPH CLEARLY ILLUSTRATES THAT GOD SOMETIMES GRANTS PERMISSION FOR ADVERSITY TO CENTER OUR LIVES SO THAT HE MIGHT ACCOMPLISH AN ULTIMATE GOOD.
JACOB DIDN'T TRY TO HIDE HIS LOPSIDED LOVE FOR JOESPH, HIS SON BY HIS FAVORITE WIFE, RACHEL. SO WHEN JOESPH SHARED TWO DREAMS WITH HIS BROTHERS-DREAMS IN WHICH JOESPH TOOK CENTER STAGE AND HIS BROTHERS BOWED LOW TO SERVE HIM-THEY STARTED LOOKING FOR A WAY TO DESTROY HIM.
ONE DAY, JOESPH'S BROTHERS SECRETLY SOLD HIM INTO SLAVERY. EVENTUALLY HE WOUND UP AS THE SLAVE OF POTIPHAR, AN OFFICER OF PHARAOH. JOESPH QUICKLY ROSE TO PROMINENCE IN HIS NEW POSITION, BUT WHEN POTIPHAR'S WIFE FALSELY ACCUSED JOESPH OF RAPE, THE BELEAGUERED YOUNG MAN GOT TOSSED INTO PRISON.
EVEN THERE, HE ROSE TO A POSITION OF LEADERSHIP. WHEN HE CORRECTLY INTERPRETED THE DREAM OF A ROYAL SERVANT, JOESPH HOPED THAT HIS FORTUNES WERE ABOUT TO CHANGE. BUT THE MAN PROMPTLY FORGOT HIM FOR TWO LONG YEARS. NOT UNTIL PHARAOH HIMSELF NEEDED SOMEONE TO INTERPRET A TROUBLING DREAM DID THE MAN MENTION JOESPH (GEN. 39-40)
AS THE RIGHT TIME, GOD REVERSED JOSEPH'S ADVERSITY.
AFTER JOESPH CORRECTLY INTERPRETED THE DREAM, PHARAOH PUT HIM IN CHARGE OF THE NATION'S HARVEST.LATER, JOESPH USED HIS NEW AUTHORITY AS A PRIME MINISTER TO HELP HIS FAMILY THROUGH A SEVERE FAMINE.
AFTER JACOB'S DEATH, JOESPH'S BROTHERS FEARED THAT HE MIGHT TRY TO ''PAY THEM BACK'' BUT JOESPH SAID TO THEM, ''DO NOT BE AFRAID, FOR AM I IN THE PLACE OF GOD? BUT AS FOR YOU, YOU MEANT EVIL AGIANST ME; BUT GOD MEANT IT FOR GOOD, IN ORDER TO BRING IT ABOUT AS IT IS THIS DAY, TO SAVE MANY PEOPLE ALIVE''(GEN.50:19,20).
IN LOOKING BACK OVER HIS LIFE-EVEN THE DARK AND PAINFUL EVENTS-JOESPH REALIZED THAT GOD HAD BEEN IN CHARGE ALL THE TIME. NOTHING HAD HAPPENED TO HIM APART FROM GOD'S WILL AND DIVINE PLAN.
IN THE SAME WAY,WHEN YOU BELONG TO THE LORD, ANY ADVERSITY YOU MAY EXPERIENCE REMAINS SUBJECT TO THE LORD'S POWER AND GRACE. HE NEVER STOPS BEING IN CHARGE OF YOUR LIFE. HE NEVER LOSES AUTHORITY OVER THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT AFFECT YOU. GOD IS ALWAYS IN CONTROL.
THEREFORE, YOU MUST REALIZE THAT, ON OCCASION, THE LORD PERMITS ADVERSITY TO ENTER YOUR LIFE. HE USES ADVERSITY TO FULFILL HIS PURPOSES IN YOU AND THROUGH YOU.
