Joseph: from a pit to the palace
Today, we read about the fascinating story of how Joseph, son of Jacob, went from a pit to becoming the prime minister of the mighty Egyptian kingdom. How did it happen? What are his unique God-given character traits?
Joseph's story starts with his mother saying that 'her disgrace is now over'. The end is defined when Jacob says that Joseph is like a fruitful vine (Genesis 49:22).
He was a man of principle. Gen 39:8 - read about how he refused to indulge in sin with his master's wife.
He was humble. Gene 45:5 shows his attitude to his family and people.
He was disciplined. Gen 39: 21-22 shows how he was entrusted with responsibilities while in prison.
He was faithful to his God (read Gen 39), as Pharaoh himself testified.
He showed mercy and compassion to his people (read how he wept in private while he was testing his brothers).
He was competent in his work.
He was wise and was strategic in his work and life (read how he rescued Egypt from famine through his strategic planning).
John Maxwell summarizes Joseph's leadership skills by citing three traits - 1, Commitment to serve God; 2, Character and integrity; 3, Competence.
In fact, the main thing that I learnt from Joseph's life is from Genesis 39. At four places, the author says that 'The Lord was with him'. As we saw from Abraham's life, and later with Jacob, and now with Joseph, the strength and wisdom of these mighty men came with this promise - The Lord was with them. Can we seek the hand of our Lord in our life? What should we do to be like Joseph?
Finally, Ms. Juby Jiby also talked about how the life of Joseph closely mirrored that of Jesus himself. See below for the examples. As we seek the Lord God in our lives, we would slowly notice that we become more like Jesus in our character. That, my friends, is what we aim to achieve with Knowing the Word. God bless you.
Today, we read about the fascinating story of how Joseph, son of Jacob, went from a pit to becoming the prime minister of the mighty Egyptian kingdom. How did it happen? What are his unique God-given character traits?
Joseph's story starts with his mother saying that 'her disgrace is now over'. The end is defined when Jacob says that Joseph is like a fruitful vine (Genesis 49:22).
He was a man of principle. Gen 39:8 - read about how he refused to indulge in sin with his master's wife.
He was humble. Gene 45:5 shows his attitude to his family and people.
He was disciplined. Gen 39: 21-22 shows how he was entrusted with responsibilities while in prison.
He was faithful to his God (read Gen 39), as Pharaoh himself testified.
He showed mercy and compassion to his people (read how he wept in private while he was testing his brothers).
He was competent in his work.
He was wise and was strategic in his work and life (read how he rescued Egypt from famine through his strategic planning).
John Maxwell summarizes Joseph's leadership skills by citing three traits - 1, Commitment to serve God; 2, Character and integrity; 3, Competence.
In fact, the main thing that I learnt from Joseph's life is from Genesis 39. At four places, the author says that 'The Lord was with him'. As we saw from Abraham's life, and later with Jacob, and now with Joseph, the strength and wisdom of these mighty men came with this promise - The Lord was with them. Can we seek the hand of our Lord in our life? What should we do to be like Joseph?
Finally, Ms. Juby Jiby also talked about how the life of Joseph closely mirrored that of Jesus himself. See below for the examples. As we seek the Lord God in our lives, we would slowly notice that we become more like Jesus in our character. That, my friends, is what we aim to achieve with Knowing the Word. God bless you.
No comments:
Post a Comment