3 minute read

“When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you just keep looking at each other?” He continued, “I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die.” Then ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, with the others, because he was afraid that harm might come to him. So Israel’s sons were among those who went to buy grain, for there was famine in the land of Canaan also. Now Joseph was the governor of the land, the person who sold grain to all its people. So when Joseph’s brothers arrived, they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground. As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them. “Where do you come from?” he asked. “From the land of Canaan,” they replied, “to buy food.” Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him. Then he remembered his dreams about them…”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭42:1-9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Right man, right spot.” That’s what my son’s baseball coach tells the boys anytime they’re up to bat at a crucial point in the game. Every time he says it, it resonates deeper with me.

The story of Joseph is one of my absolute favorites in the Bible! In case you aren’t familiar, I would encourage reading about him in the book of Genesis. It starts in chapter 37. Joseph’s brothers wanted to kill him because he had dreams that they would one day bow down to him. His brothers were like, “yea, that’s not happening!” Instead of killing him, they chose to sell him into slavery. He was bought by Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh’s guard, wrongfully accused of rape by Potiphar’s wife, then thrown into prison. In prison, he helped a man who ended up forgetting about him once he was free. In the end, Joseph became the Governor of all the land.

What a comeback story! Depending on where you are in your Christian journey, you have heard this story from an angle of vindication more times than you can probably count. How about we change it up? Let’s do it!

Despite all that Joseph encountered, he remained the same. He was loyal to God, honest, and forgiving. He never tried to avenge himself, and he didn’t allow his pain to change him. Can we say the same for us? What if God permits things to happen because He knows our hearts?

God favored Joseph because He knew that He could trust him. He knew that it takes a different type of person to carry out certain dreams. In chapter 37, Joseph’s brothers were planning to kill him. In chapter 47, Joseph blessed them. It was how Joseph viewed the 10 chapters in between that made him the right man. What is your outlook on yours?

Joseph said to his brothers, “And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Genesis‬ ‭45:5; 50:20‬ ‭NIV‬‬).

This should be our heart posture. Don’t just go through things in your life and settle for bitterness or keep the lessons you learned to yourself. Minister to someone. Share your failures and the lessons you learned along the way. Did you go through a divorce? Counsel a younger person on what you would’ve done differently. Did you prematurely quit a job? Teach someone else the benefits of tenacity. God does everything for a purpose. Every encounter Jesus had with someone ended with a new evangelist.

What can God accomplish through you? When you step up to the plate of life every day, are you the right man, in the right spot?

Xoxo