THE SCHOOL OF JOSEPH

Joseph's own brothers were initially going to kill him; but they changed their minds and decided to sell him instead. When they met Joseph many years later he was now Prime Minister of Egypt. He was in the fulfillment of his call by God. This is what Joseph told his brothers.

"But as for you, you thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save many people alive." (Genesis 50:20).

Your purpose is not for your personal good alone. We often think about our own immediate good; when, in fact, God is thinking about the ultimate good of many. That is why He calls us.

There is a mystery in scripture that will help us to be able to submit to God and let Him work out His good plan through the circumstances of our lives. The truth is that the devil or man is not in control of our lives. 

God is in control of our lives and times if we let Him. God will even use the devil and men, according to their nature, to work out His good plan for our lives. Even if a man is crooked and wicked, God can use him, without his knowledge, to accomplish His purpose for your life.

THE PROMOTION OF JOSEPH

It was God who promoted Joseph. But He used men all the way. Potiphar, the ruler of the prison and finally, Pharaoh. These were not necessarily nice men.

But did you notice that none of them promoted Joseph above himself? In all circumstances no

man will promote another man above himself. It is the nature of man to self preserve. 

If one man knows about the dream of another that could make him rise above him, even if it is of God, he will immediately start doing everything to prevent the dream from coming to pass. He will do it unconsciously for self preservation. 

That's what happened with the brothers of Joseph. Ten elder brothers could so easily agree to destroy a younger brother because of his dream. They were afraid that he would become their leader. Because they wanted to self preserve they could not care what happened to Joseph.

The good news is that God takes this manifestation of this fallen nature of man into account when planning his purpose for His children. No devil or another man has the power to stop God's plan for the life of His children.

When men or the devil seem to be working against you; God is only using them to accomplish His purpose for and through your life. But they are too blinded by their own selfish nature to know it. That was the case with Jesus. It is so for all his children. 

"But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

Which none of the princes of this world knew: for HAD THEY KNOWN IT, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." (1 Corinthians 2:7-8)

The princes of this world crucified Jesus to stop Him from becoming the Lord of glory. But God wanted them to crucify Him so that He could become the Lord of glory. Ignorantly, they accomplished the purpose of God by their own selfish and wicked nature, without being forced to do so.

That's exactly what happened to Joseph. If his brothers had known the plan of God they would not have sold Joseph. It was God who sent Joseph to Egypt using their wicked nature.

"He SENT a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant:

Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron:

Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him." (Psalms 105:17-19).

So stop worrying about what men or the devil will do against you. Whatever they do against you will ultimately work for your good. God is in control of your life.

YOUR WELFARE IS PART OF THE PLAN

No man will promote you above himself. And they will only promote you if they need you. Look at Joseph. The three men that promoted him needed him. Rather, he had something that they needed.

But there is a way to know that you are needed under any system. God will take your welfare into consideration. You are only serving God under that system. If God has not made any provision for your welfare within a system where you serve, you are not needed there. You don't have what they need. You are in the wrong place.

There is a system that needs what God has put in you. Your total welfare package is also in that system. God will connect you to it. Until then you are in the process of getting there. The devil is not in control. Men are not in control. All things will work together for your good. 

But you don't have all the information. God calls that lack of information an infirmity. It is only God who has all the information about your purpose in life and how it will be accomplished. He will bring it to pass. The promise, "Faithful is he that calls you, who also will do it," applies here. (1 Thessalonians 5:24). 

You must trust Him absolutely and engage the Holy Spirit in your prayers. You can do that in faith.

"Likewise the Spirit also helps our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

And he that searches the hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because he makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the CALLED according to his purpose." (Romans 8:26-28).

Right now maintain the attitude of faith and love as you pray and expect to arrive in that place of ultimate fulfillment of your call. Always do your best wherever you are. Follow the example of Joseph. No hatred. No revenge. No bitterness. It will end for good. You will be glorified by your God.