A Greater Plan

Genesis 39:21

But the LORD was with Joseph and extended kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the chief jailer.

There is much to learn from the story of Joseph and it's worth studying again and again to look closely at the details. Joseph was the reason that the people of Israel moved into Egypt and became slaves for 400 years but then were rescued when God sent Moses to lead them to the Promised Land.

Does God work that far in advance to carry out His plans? Read the story of Joseph and you will get some insight that should encourage you. God used famine across the entire Middle East, the sibling squabbles of a bedouin sheep herding family and the dreams of a Pharaoh to direct an entire nation of people whom He loved. Joseph was the 11th son in a family of 12 children (all boys), and his elder brothers hated him because he told them about a dream he had where he was ruler over them all.

As a teenager, they nearly killed him but instead sold him into slavery in Egypt. Even under those circumstances, he showed great character in his work and gained favor from his owner, rising up to manage a very large business. Things looked so much better for him but he was then falsely accused of assaulting his master's wife and was thrown into prison. Where was God? Why would Joseph trust Him?

It turns out that these events were not by chance, for the Lord was working out a plan to put him in the right place at the right time. In that prison Joseph interpreted the dream of an appointed minister to the king of Egypt, and eventually stood before the Pharaoh himself to likewise interpret a dream. The Lord had given him great insight into the future and he was able to devise a plan for managing the agriculture of an entire country to save them from famine.

His immediate promotion to the rank of governor was the fulfillment of God's plan and Joseph openly gave glory to the Lord in Genesis 50:20. When he landed in jail at the point of our verse today, he could have slumped into depression, complained that all was lost and given up. We would have never known his name. Instead, he trusted God was at work, not only on his behalf, but on a much larger plan he could not see.

Can you trust God in your current situation? Can God use it to bring about redemption for those you care about? Will God cause your life to turn out for good, no matter what evil comes against you? The testimony of Joseph declares that He can. You must trust Him like Joseph did and walk each day like you are part of a plan to bring about God's salvation into the lives of many.