The Process to the Palace

Peyton Johnston

December 5th, 2017

Genesis​ ​50:20;​ ​The​ ​Story​ ​of​ ​Joseph

Joseph​ ​was​ ​the​ ​golden​ ​child.​ ​He​ ​was​ ​the​ ​chosen​ ​one.​ ​His​ ​father​ ​and​ ​mother​ ​had​ ​laid​ ​out​ ​a​ ​life of​ ​privilege​ ​for​ ​him,​ ​and​ ​he​ ​had​ ​been​ ​shown​ ​a​ ​promise​ ​of​ ​future​ ​power​ ​and​ ​esteem​ ​by​ ​God Himself.​ ​He​ ​was​ ​set​ ​apart​ ​and​ ​given​ ​the​ ​best​ ​of​ ​the​ ​best.​ ​He​ ​was​ ​living​ ​the​ ​dream!​ ​But​ ​Joseph’s course​ ​took​ ​a​ ​turn​ ​when​ ​his​ ​brothers​ ​became​ ​so​ ​fed​ ​up​ ​with​ ​his​ ​entitlement​ ​that​ ​they​ ​unleashed their​ ​rage​ ​by​ ​way​ ​of​ ​ultimate​ ​betrayal.​ ​In​ ​one​ ​moment,​ ​all​ ​the​ ​years​ ​of​ ​favoritism​ ​held​ ​little meaning.​ ​Joseph​ ​had​ ​gone​ ​from​ ​traveling​ ​down​ ​a​ ​perfectly​ ​paved​ ​road​ ​of​ ​high​ ​favor​ ​to stumbling​ ​through​ ​a​ ​twisted​ ​path​ ​of​ ​deceit​ ​and​ ​confusion.

I’m​ ​sure​ ​while​ ​Joseph​ ​was​ ​enjoying​ ​all​ ​the​ ​pleasures​ ​of​ ​partiality​ ​in​ ​his​ ​father’s​ ​house,​ ​he​ ​would have​ ​never​ ​imagined​ ​the​ ​terrible​ ​trials​ ​he​ ​was​ ​going​ ​to​ ​have​ ​to​ ​endure.​ ​First​ ​his​ ​brothers contemplated​ ​murdering​ ​him​ ​out​ ​of​ ​pure​ ​jealousy.​ ​But​ ​instead​ ​they​ ​settled​ ​on​ ​throwing​ ​him​ ​in​ ​a pit​ ​before​ ​selling​ ​him​ ​into​ ​slavery​ ​behind​ ​their​ ​parents’​ ​backs.​ ​Then​ ​he​ ​was​ ​falsely​ ​accused​ ​of treasonous​ ​adultery​ ​with​ ​Potiphar’s​ ​wife​ ​and​ ​was​ ​sentenced​ ​to​ ​prison​ ​for​ ​years.

At​ ​some​ ​point​ ​Joseph​ ​must​ ​have​ ​thought,​ ​“God,​ ​what’s​ ​going​ ​on?!​ ​This​ ​isn’t​ ​how​ ​my​ ​life​ ​was supposed​ ​to​ ​go.​ ​Didn’t​ ​you​ ​promise​ ​me​ ​great​ ​things?​ ​Have​ ​I​ ​not​ ​shown​ ​myself​ ​faithful?​ ​Why have​ ​you​ ​allowed​ ​all​ ​this​ ​sorrow​ ​into​ ​my​ ​life?”

I​ ​think​ ​everyone​ ​can​ ​relate​ ​to​ ​that​ ​feeling​ ​-​ ​the​ ​feeling​ ​of​ ​something​ ​good​ ​in​ ​your​ ​life​ ​suddenly falling​ ​apart​ ​for​ ​seemingly​ ​no​ ​reason​ ​at​ ​all.​ ​It’s​ ​difficult​ ​to​ ​let​ ​go​ ​of​ ​something​ ​you​ ​want​ ​and​ ​let God​ ​lead​ ​you​ ​somewhere​ ​you​ ​don’t​ ​want​ ​to​ ​be.​ ​But​ ​you​ ​see,​ ​it​ ​was​ ​Joseph’s​ ​journey​ ​from​ ​the pit,​ ​to​ ​Potiphar’s​ ​house,​ ​to​ ​prison​ ​that​ ​eventually​ ​led​ ​him​ ​to​ ​the​ ​palace​ ​as​ ​a​ ​wise​ ​and​ ​mighty ruler​ ​over​ ​Egypt.​ ​The​ ​process​ ​was​ ​what​ ​prepared​ ​him​ ​to​ ​be​ ​able​ ​to​ ​fully​ ​handle​ ​the​ ​great position​ ​God​ ​had​ ​promised.​ ​And​ ​when​ ​Joseph​ ​looked​ ​back​ ​over​ ​his​ ​life,​ ​he​ ​said​ ​to​ ​his​ ​brothers, “But​ ​as​ ​for​ ​you,​ ​you​ ​meant​ ​evil​ ​against​ ​me,​ ​but​ ​god​ ​meant​ ​it​ ​all​ ​for​ ​good.”​ ​God​ ​can​ ​take​ ​anything and​ ​use​ ​it​ ​for​ ​good​ ​-​ ​you​ ​just​ ​have​ ​to​ ​trust​ ​in​ ​Him​ ​and​ ​remain​ ​faithful!

More​ ​often​ ​than​ ​not,​ ​our​ ​own​ ​plans​ ​will​ ​never​ ​look​ ​like​ ​God’s​ ​plans.​ ​But​ ​God​ ​NEVER​ ​fails​ ​and His​ ​word​ ​is​ ​ALWAYS​ ​true.​ ​Whatever​ ​He​ ​has​ ​promised​ ​will​ ​come​ ​to​ ​pass​ ​-​ ​it​ ​may​ ​not​ ​be​ ​how​ ​or when​ ​we​ ​expect,​ ​but​ ​we​ ​can​ ​be​ ​sure​ ​that​ ​He​ ​will​ ​lead​ ​us​ ​through​ ​the​ ​process​ ​to​ ​our​ ​“palace”​ ​in the​ ​most​ ​divine​ ​way.

Pray:​ ​​“Lord,​ ​I​ ​have​ ​total​ ​trust​ ​in​ ​Your​ ​plans​ ​and​ ​Your​ ​process.​ ​No​ ​matter​ ​what​ ​the​ ​journey entails,​ ​through​ ​all​ ​trials​ ​and​ ​triumphs,​ ​I​ ​will​ ​trust​ ​in​ ​Your​ ​ways.​ ​Sometimes​ ​the​ ​process​ ​You​ ​use to​ ​work​ ​things​ ​out​ ​in​ ​my​ ​life​ ​is​ ​a​ ​total​ ​mystery​ ​to​ ​me.​ ​But​ ​I​ ​know​ ​that​ ​You​ ​love​ ​me​ ​infinitely​ ​and are​ ​working​ ​for​ ​my​ ​good!”