…And whatever he did, the LORD made it succeed. (Genesis 39:23)
I thought I would share a few things I was reminded of during my Jesus-time this morning. ??
We all know Joseph was a successful man who was favored among all of his Egyptian masters. What I think many of us often forget or don’t realize, though, is it really wasn’t because of anything Joseph did. It had nothing to do with him. His success was purely because the LORD made him to succeed.
I’m talking about success, not prosperity, btw…
How often do we hear the Lord telling us to do something, but because of fear of failure we refuse to move forward? We put so much pressure on ourselves when ultimately it’s the Lord who provides the success, not us.
Or how often do we hear the Lord tell us to do something, but when it starts to look different from what we expected we begin to meddle and attempt to control the outcome, or maybe even turn back and give up?
Joseph knew he was going to be important. He had dreams about it. He knew he would somehow be a leader in his family even though he was #11 in a list of 12 boys. But I guarantee you he never expected it to involve his being sold into slavery or being thrown in prison.
The thing about it, though, is even in these crazy situations, the hand of God was upon him. Not because of anything special that Joseph did, per-se, but because God was the one who ultimately brought success upon him. It had nothing to do with Joseph.
It reminds me of the young boy with the loaves and fishes in the Gospels – the one whose seemingly tiny offering ended up feeding five thousand. He didn’t do anything special. We don’t even know the kid’s name! But he must have felt that tugging – that pulling to do something. And bringing what he had to offer, the Lord made him successful.
If the Lord is asking you to do something, don’t let fears and doubts and worries and what-if’s hold you back or hinder what God has put into motion. Trust in the Lord, my friends. Trust Him… because ultimately, it’s not on you, it’s on Him. And if things start to look different than you expected, don’t be afraid. Don’t let that be the reason you turn back or try to meddle. Believe. Have faith. And just like with Abraham, let that faith be counted to you as righteousness.
