What’s going on everyone!! Man, this week has been amazingly inspiring!! Between hanging and talking with friends, to reading Scripture and watching YouTube videos on evangelism, I have been extremely inspired. Today, I want to talk about that gap we call the in-between. To me, the in-between is that gap that lies in the midst of where we currently are, and where we desire to be. I know a lot of have high expectations and astounding dreams to change the world and to do big things, but our current situations don’t exactly line with that. Let me encourage you all and come around the aspect of how we can be confident in the in-between.
I want to weave the story of Joseph into this post, mainly because this story’s overall theme relates perfectly to the point I want to drive home with us. For my bible scholars, or just anyone curious, this story takes place in the book of Genesis chapter 37. For those that don’t know, Joseph was a son of Jacob, who is one of the pillars of our faith. Jacob loved Jospeh a lot, and that made Joseph’s brothers jealous of him. As if it wasn’t bad enough, Joseph had dreams that God placed in his heart of his parents and brothers bowing before him. When I read this, I was shocked because that seems super prideful. Imagine me telling my dad or mom or siblings (mind you, I’m the youngest in my family) “Aye y’all, I don’t know when, but y’all are going to bow to me”. I’d get laughed out of my whole family.
Going back to the story, when Joseph’s father heard the dreams, he rebuked him saying, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?” (Genesis 37:10). I bet this was hard to hear for Joseph. God put a dream in his heart, and his entire family rebuked him and hated him. His brothers hated him so much, that they sold him into slavery in Egypt, and told their father that an animal killed him. This is a message in itself that just because God put a dream in your heart, that doesn’t mean that you won’t face opposition. On the contrary, if God has called you to something, you better be ready to face some heavy opposition!!!
Continuing on, when Joseph got to Egypt, he was placed in Potiphar’s house. The favor of God was on Joseph, and he excelled where he was. That’s one part of the overall theme. Just because you aren’t where you want to be, or you feel like you should be higher than where you are, GIVE YOUR BEST. Don’t stop serving and keep that dream alive in your heart that God placed there. Because God blessed Joseph, Potiphar’s house was blessed. Potiphar then gave Joseph power to run his house, basically.
Then temptation tried to hit. Apparently Joseph was a good looking dude, and Potiphar’s wife was scoping him out, and she was trying to get some action from him. Over and over again she would try to get Joseph to lay with her but he wouldn’t. So then, he just ran out, even left his cloak there because he fled so quick. Lesson number 2. Be prepared for temptation to come strong. Scripture says, “Submit yourself to the hand of God, resist the devil, and he will flee” (James 4:7). Joseph fled from the temptation, because God’s permanent dream was more captivating than temporary satisfaction. When God’s promise becomes such a priority, the enemy will throw whatever he can to get you off the track God has for you.
In a nutshell, Joseph was falsely accused of taking Potiphar’s wife, and was sent to prison. God blessed the prison AGAIN because Joseph was fulfilling his part by being faithful with the gifts that God had blessed him with. Joseph gets promoted in the prison, and ultimately becomes one of the most powerful man in Egypt. To end out the story, Joseph’s family comes to Egypt because they had a famine in their land, and Joseph helps them, and ultimately shows them, in dramatic form, that he indeed is Joseph, the son that was thought to be lost. In the end, his family litarally bows to him, since he was up there with Pharoh, as far as rank goes, and everything works out. God’s plan was fufilled in Joseph’s life.
This story is so strong because there were many times where Joseph could’ve given up. He was in a hole waiting to be sold to Egypt as a slave; he was a slave in a house, falsely accused of infidelity and rape, and sent to prison. Even though he wasn’t where he thought he deserved to be, God had a plan for him the whole time!! I know a lot of times, we are put into places and situations that don’t line up exactly with where we want to be. That is totally okay. Stay faithful even in those times. Stay motivated by the promises that God has made. Even in the shadows, stay persistent and hold on to the word that God put inside of you.
Much Love,
Ryan W.
