Joseph: When Life’s a Rollercoaster

Scriptures: Genesis 37, Hebrews 12:15

Introducing Joseph: How to Live the Dream When Life’s a Nightmare

Life is not an elevator. It’s a rollercoaster. No matter how much we might love taking risks or engaging in adventure sports, most of us would probably prefer life to be a little more elevator, a little less rollercoaster. Over the coming days, we’ll explore the life and times of one of the best-known and most celebrated Old Testament characters, Joseph. Through Joseph’s story, we discover the faithfulness of God, working to accomplish His plans for our good and His Glory, even when things seem to have gone horribly wrong. 

In Genesis 12:2-3 God says to Abraham, ‘I will bless you… and through your offspring, all families on earth will be blessed.’ Given this extraordinary promise to Abraham’s family, it may shock you that there was so much dysfunction amongst his descendants (like, parental favouritism and sibling rivalry). You may know from experience how destructive these relational sins can be. Thankfully, we’re reminded through Joseph’s story that we’re not alone in an empty Universe. There’s a Good and Loving God who created this world. Regardless of whether or not your parents planned you, God has a plan for your life. God made you and He doesn’t make mistakes. 

God’s revelation to Joseph – the dream indicating he would rule over his brothers – must’ve seemed confusing and unlikely, if not impossible. In the same way, God may have given you dreams that don’t correlate with your current experiences. Your circumstances may have caused you to doubt your purpose and the promises of God, and perhaps you need to ask Him to reawaken the dreams, visions, and promises spoken over your life through Scripture and the Spirit’s Voice. 

Joseph dreams of being raised up above his brothers, and the opposite happens. His jealous brothers push him into a waterless well then sell him to passing slave traders. You may never have been shoved into a pit, but it can feel as if your dream has turned into a nightmare. Maybe the nightmare was caused by someone else, or something beyond your control. Maybe you were partly to blame. Either way, all is not lost. No matter how terrible his brothers’ actions were towards him, God remained faithful to Joseph. In fact, in selling him into slavery and sending him down to Egypt the brothers were moving him closer to the fulfillment of the dreams God had given him – though none of them could see it at the time, least of all Joseph. Our dreams, too, are seldom fulfilled the way we imagine they will be – but God remains faithful, and His plans for us prevail. 

As we continue to explore the remarkable story of Joseph – beaten-up brother, dreamer, leader, and forgiver – be encouraged that no matter how broken your background, or how great your sin, there is hope. Your past needn’t determine your future because Jesus offers forgiveness, healing, and change. God is faithful to fulfill the dreams He has given you, despite the nightmare of your past or current experiences.

Scriptures: Genesis 39, 1 Corinthians 10:13

Joseph and Potiphar: How to Triumph Over Temptation

You may be sorely tempted to give up or give in. Joseph, far from home in a hostile culture, was treated unfairly and tempted sexually. Yet he refused to be lured into sin – and we can refuse too. 

We’ve all been tempted to make poor choices detrimental to our reputation, relationships, family, or career. And yet we know God has a plan for our lives and He’s faithful, despite our mess-ups. Joseph’s enslavement in Egypt was a drastic downgrade from the life he’d known in Canaan. It looked nothing like the hopes and dreams he believed God had given him. Perhaps you’ve felt tempted to give up in the face of unfair treatment, failure, or abject disappointment. Perhaps you’ve lost all hope for a particular situation or relationship because things just aren’t panning out as you’d hoped. The reason Joseph didn’t give up was because ‘the Lord was with [him] so that he prospered…’ (Genesis 39:2). Dark voices surely whispered to him, ‘It’s over. You’re nothing.’ But God assured him, ‘I’m with you. I’ve got this. Don’t give up.’ Joseph believed God and acted in faith. The dream wasn’t dead, despite the nightmare. The dream also wasn’t realised overnight. It took decades to unfold. But Joseph refused to give up. God is with you too – in your waiting, in the injustice you’ve suffered, in your disappointment. 

After overcoming the temptation to give up, Joseph faces the temptation to give in. Joseph’s story in Genesis 39 focuses on sexual temptation, but the principles apply to other forms of temptation too. Of course, sex itself is a wonderful gift from God. Potiphar’s wife, however, isn’t looking for the sacred intimacy and pleasure of covenant marriage. She wants a casual hook-up. The key to overcoming temptation is rejecting cheap pleasures and disordered desires, so we can enjoy the real thing. Joseph demonstrates the Three R’s to fight sin’s enticement: refuse to give in, remember to Whom you belong, and run for freedom. 

Joseph was adamant (even aggressive!) in his refusal of Potiphar’s wife. He saw the baited hook beneath the soft touch. Also, he didn’t just fear this woman’s husband. He feared God. He was living for an audience of One, and he wanted to honour God with his actions and attitudes. Potiphar’s wife didn’t get the hint. She kept trying – temptation is persistent. Joseph shows us that sometimes the only thing we can do is run from temptation. Don’t sit on the bed and talk about it – leave the room! Don’t stay online – switch off the screen! Don’t go for a drink – go home! You’ll never regret taking drastic measures to flee temptation. 

Let’s dial down the voices that tell us there’s no hope, or that the sin we’re contemplating won’t hurt anyone. Let’s turn up loud the Voice of our God who promises never to forsake us, and who calls us to be light in a dark world. Give God your fears. Ask Him for fresh courage. And be inspired by how Joseph ultimately points to Christ who overcame temptation in the wilderness, died for our sin, and rose again. We live with Resurrection Power! Let’s not give up or give in. Instead, let’s refuse sin, remember God, and run for freedom.

Scriptures: Genesis 40, Galatians 5:22-23

Joseph and Prison: How to Flourish When Life Feels Stuck

Even when Joseph did the right thing (resisting Potiphar’s wife), he was falsely accused and imprisoned. It looked as if God had forgotten him. He could’ve wallowed in self-pity. Instead, he flourished, because he chose to cultivate the Fruit of the Spirit and to exercise the Gifts of the Spirit. Astonishingly, we can do the same. 

Injustice is a bitter pill to swallow. Innocent, Joseph sat out his twenties in a dungeon. And yet God had a purpose through it all. Joseph eventually emerged from prison to become prime minister of Egypt. Of course, he didn’t know his story would end that way. Maybe you’ve experienced crippling injustice. Even subtle, seemingly not-so-bad injustice can feel like a prison, and it’s easy to lose heart after months or years of frustration. Thankfully, Joseph’s story provides beautiful perspective. God used the dark times to foster in Joseph the Fruits and the Gifts of the Spirit. Joseph’s public years as prime minister would depend on his transformation in these hidden years. 

In Genesis 40:1-7 we read that God used Joseph’s spiritual gift of dream interpretation right where he found himself, languishing in prison. And gentle, mature, grownup Joseph in prison is very different from arrogant, teenage Joseph who bragged about his dreams, flaunting his fancy coat. It’s likely God has called you to exercise your gifts even in times of severe suffering, or when it felt as if He’d forgotten you. Serving God from that place can be sweeter than using your gifts when things are going swimmingly. Pebbles become smooth from being rolled around and smashed about in cold, dark places. Often this is how God knocks off the rough edges of our characters too. God doesn’t cause injustices or tragedies, but He uses them to change us, so we’re ready to operate in the Spirit’s Power and bring hope to a desperate world. 

Joseph displayed courage and humility as God powerfully used his gift of dream interpretation. Unfairly stuck in prison, he didn’t wait for better days to obey God, step out in faith, and use his gift. What’s more, Joseph could’ve used his gift of interpretation to manipulate Pharoah and promote himself, yet he deflected all the glory to God. This is the Fruit of the Spirit demonstrated through the Gifts of the Spirit. 

Let’s take a moment to thank God that He teaches us to trust Him, not just through preachers and prayer meetings, but when everything is stripped away, and we feel stuck. Let’s remember we’re not mini celebrities hustling to get our name in lights. We’re living to know God and make Him known, and like Joseph, we need courage to step out in faith and we need humility to act in the Power of God alone, trusting Him to use us in tough places to bring hope.

Scriptures: Genesis 41, Colossians 3:23-24

Joseph and Promotion: How to Handle Influence and Make a Difference

You’ve heard the expression, “What a difference a day makes!” Joseph woke up one morning in prison. He went to bed that night as Prime Minister of Egypt. Rags to royalty! After years of living a nightmare, his teenage dreams were finally coming true. But the one thing more difficult than trusting God when things are tough is staying faithful when you’ve achieved success. We can learn from Joseph how to exercise power, manage wealth, and raise a family in a God-honouring way. 

One definition of a hero is someone who does the right thing at the right time in the right way, and this is the kind of heroism Joseph displays as he follows up his interpretation of Pharaoh’s dream with a plan to rescue Egypt from hardship. Pharaoh says of Joseph, “Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the Spirit of God?” (Genesis 41:38). Tough times have emptied Joseph of pride, and he’s full of the Holy Spirit. Now his confidence is in God, and he’s ready for promotion. Once he’d interpreted Pharaoh’s dream, Joseph didn’t put himself forward for promotion. He understood, as we must, that people are repelled by, not drawn to, self-promoters. Look for ways to champion others. 

From Joseph’s life we’re also reminded that, while remaining faithful to God, we’re called to occupy positions of influence in society. It’s ok to hold sway in secular spaces and to have career aspirations. All of life should be lived to the Glory of God; the only thing that’s secular is sin. Just be sure to check the motives fuelling your ambitions. Then actively seek God’s blessing as you create culture, policies, value systems, or grocery shopping lists that flow downstream to the people within your sphere of influence. 

Joseph had to learn how to handle wealth. What corrupts us is the feeling that we need expensive or impressive things to feel important. In prison, Joseph learned to be content with nothing but God’s Loving Presence. He was ready to handle great wealth because he didn’t need it. Joseph displays two features of a healthy approach to money: giving and saving. His selflessness, generosity, integrity, and wisdom would’ve been considered countercultural. 

It’s also evident that Joseph’s family was of paramount importance to him. It’s easy to get caught up in work and ministry and to expend all our energy outside the home. Everyone else gets the best of us, but family gets the leftovers. Be honest about what vies for your attention and threatens to take precedence over God and your family. Genesis 41:56-57 tells us that, when the famine had spread over the whole country, Joseph opened the grain storehouses, using his influence to bless the known world of his day. God will use your influence too, to bless those near and dear, far and wide. 

The humility and integrity Joseph displays in his soaring success are in some ways even more astounding than his stalwart faith to trust God when his dreams turned to nightmares. As we contemplate Joseph’s example, let’s recommit ourselves to living with integrity and humility in every area of our modest or considerable influence.

Scriptures: Genesis 42, Genesis 43, Genesis 44, Genesis 45, Matthew 5:44

Joseph and His Brothers: How to Forgive the Unforgivable

As famine hits, Joseph’s brothers make their way down to Egypt to buy grain. They don’t recognise their brother, who is now Prime Minister of Egypt and has the power to exact revenge for what they did to him when he was a teenager. Unthinkably, Joseph chooses to forgive them. These are some of the most emotional chapters in the Bible, revealing how we too can forgive the unforgivable. 

Joseph’s choice to forgive his brothers (Genesis 42-45) would have been entirely counterintuitive and countercultural – like it is in our society today. Joseph had a lot of forgiving to do: his brothers, Potiphar’s wife, Potiphar himself, the cupbearer. To help me understand forgiveness, I think of a garden hosepipe. Every person I keep on my hate list – the list of people I’m unwilling to forgive or against whom I hold a grudge – is like another kink in the hosepipe, restricting or cutting off altogether the flow of God’s Grace through my life. That helps me remember that choosing to forgive isn’t just about being kind to my enemies; it’s also good for me. 

Of course, it’s important to know what forgiveness is not. Firstly, forgiving is not the same as just forgetting. Secondly, to forgive someone doesn’t mean making excuses for what they did to you. Joseph forgives his brothers, but he never pretends what they did wasn’t all that bad. Years after he and his brothers have reconciled, he still doesn’t sugarcoat their treatment of him. He says, ‘You intended evil against me…’ (Genesis 50:20). If sin wasn’t a big deal and we could just explain it away, Jesus needn’t have been crucified. Thirdly, to forgive someone isn’t the same as trusting them. Joseph forgives his brothers, but he still exercises discernment, testing their characters to see if they can be trusted (Genesis 42-44). 

Genesis 45 shows us what reconciliation can look like, and it’s beautiful. The relationship between Joseph and his repentant brothers is completely restored. Something divine and transcendent happens when a person chooses to forgive. Powers of darkness shrink in defeat. As Joseph weeps with his brothers, embraces them, kisses them, and promises good to them, the universe is being drained of toxic waste. 

Take some time to be honest before God. Who is on your hate list? Who do you keep at arm’s length? Who do you secretly hope to see fail? Against whom are you still harbouring a grudge? Who do you need to forgive? God is inviting us to be part of a more magnificent story. It’s impossible to live in freedom if we’re holding onto hopes for revenge. But when we choose to forgive, we release the flow of God’s Love into a world that desperately needs the counterintuitive, countercultural, trajectory-altering, world-changing power of forgiveness.

Scriptures: Genesis 50, Romans 8:28

Joseph and Finishing Well: How to Leave a Legacy that Lasts

From the vantage point of the end, Joseph can look back over his life and see how God worked it all together for good. The dreams have been fulfilled, despite the nightmare. This vision of God’s Sovereignty enables Joseph to finish well and leave a phenomenal legacy. As we wrap up this reading plan, we’ll unpack the truth that we can finish strong and leave a legacy too. 

Joseph was hated, betrayed, falsely accused, and imprisoned. And yet, remarkably, at the end of his life, he declares over all the pain and hurt that God has turned it into something beautiful (Genesis 50:20). The ancient Japanese art of mending broken pottery is called kintsugi (meaning ‘golden joinery’). When a broken vase or pot has been restored with gold-infused resin, the item is arguably more valuable and more beautiful than the original. Instead of hiding the repair, the brokenness becomes part of the aesthetic worth. The golden scars tell the story. God mends Joseph’s life and a broken generation, turning the fissures into something exquisite. Miraculously, He is making kintsugi art out of your life too. 

To leave a legacy, Joseph prioritized important things (like being at his father’s deathbed), refusing to be distracted by urgent things (like running a country) (Genesis 50:1-14). Perhaps there’s something urgently competing for your attention today. What important things is God prompting you to prioritize (like Bible reading, prayer, reaching out to someone, carving out time with your kids)? Do any of these things feel urgent, considering everything else on your plate? What’s at stake if you don’t prioritize these things? 

After their father’s death, Joseph’s brothers were afraid he’d exact revenge. In response, Joseph said, ‘Don’t be afraid… You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives… I will provide for you and your children.’ (Genesis 50:19–21). Joseph could see how God’s Sovereign Grace had triumphed over his brother’s sinfulness, even using their actions for ‘the saving of many lives’. Gaining perspective on God’s Sovereignty helps us avoid bitterness and helps us leave a legacy of reconciliation and trust. There may be events in your past that you wouldn’t wish upon anyone, and yet God has somehow used them to bless you and others. When Joseph was in prison, it wasn’t easy to see how any good could come from the injustice he’d suffered. It’s easy to accept the doctrine of God’s Sovereignty with hindsight. It’s much harder to live it forward by faith. However, prioritizing worship, reading the Bible, and prayer strengthens us in this regard. 

As Joseph nears the end of his life, it’s evident he’s living with eternity in mind (Genesis 50:22-26). He knows Egypt isn’t his ultimate home. Even God’s gift of the Promised Land is just a symbol to His people of the hope of eternal life. Think about how you might live today differently if you remembered that your best days lie ahead of you, not behind you. It’s astonishing that despite the trauma, temptation, and injustice Joseph endured, he finished strong and left an extraordinary legacy. Now it’s our turn to trust that our Sovereign God is faithful through every twist and turn of life’s rollercoaster.