Story of Joseph - A Story About God's Promises

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I've been attending a Bible study at my church for several weeks. We have been studying the basics of the Old Testament ~ many stories of people of that time that have revealed how God has worked in their lives, and how He still works today.

Most recently, we have been studying the life of Joseph. Several statements in our study guide reminds me just how much God works in and through our lives each day. This story also brings up the fact once again that how we look at our circumstances in life affects everything else.

 The story of Joseph:

Genesis 37,  39,  40-45

Joseph's faith in God and what He communicated allowed him to see beyond his circumstances and serve the Lord.

• God is the Promise-Giver and Promise-Keeper. Joseph trusted that God was still with him, despite the apparent hopelessness of his situation.                  

1.  Sold into slavery by his own brothers. 
2. Falsely accused of a crime he didn't commit and imprisoned. 
3. Forgotten by those he helped, while in prison.

• God spoke through dreams to Joseph and the Egyptians    

1.   His dream as a shepherd boy 
2. The wine-taster's dream 
3. The king's dream

• God speaks to us in different ways today.

1. Through His Word. 
2. Confirmation through other believers 
3. Answered prayer, even if it's not what we pray for.

•  The Joseph story tells us that God was with Joseph and showed His faithfulness to him in the very worst of his circumstances.

             "The LORD was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden." (Gen. 39:21)

• God is present. He is with us always.

1. The Bible tells us this truth: "For he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake    you.”(Hebrews 13:5) 
2. We are aware through our experiences and when we have peace that only He can provide in our lives. "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you" (John 14:27)

• When Joseph reveals himself to his brothers, he is able to forgive them and tells them that “It was God who sent me here—not you.”

•  God is sovereign.

1.  As children of God, we are able to see His sovereign plan, in spite of the   circumstances that led us down the road we take in life.

(source)


This story is a great reminder of who God is and how He works in our lives, each and every day.

Joy is a function of gratitude — and gratitude is a function of perspective.

(Ann Voskamp)

Sharing the many gifts God has graced upon me: Joy Dare

3 witnessed blessings:
1,198 - Getting to see my brother eat solid food again! Continued healing, as he is finally gaining, not losing weight, since his 4 month illness began.
1,199 - Quick healing of my knee, after surgery.
1,200 -  A friend who needed encouragement, finding the goodness of a stranger, just at the right time.

3 gifts from God's word: His promises
1,201 - Psalm 145:13-14

Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.

1,202 -  Psalm 91:1-2  
 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say of Yahweh, “He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust.” 
1,203 - Malachi 3:6

"I the LORD do not change."

3 gifts only seen close-up:
1,204 - Through study of His Word, I can see many of His promises.
1,205 - A wedding invitation received in the mail.
1,206 - Pictures of my hubby when he was young, found in the corner of a dresser drawer.

3 graces from people you love:
1,207 -  Friends, who call and text me, saying they are praying.
1,208 -  My hubby, working hard to finish our latest major home renovation project.
1,209 - My hubby and son, doing dishes and laundry, to help around the house, while I recover.

Linking over at these blog parties:

Multitude on Mondays (A Holy Experience)  
Gratituesday (Heavenly Homemakers)
Winsome Wednesday(My Daily Walk in His Grace)

Thankful Thursday (Grace Alone) Hearts 4 Home Thursday (Our Simple Country Life)
  Sharing His Beauty (Beauty In His Grip)
God-Bumps & God-Incidences(Getting Down With Jesus)

When danger Surrounds Us: God Protects Us

Ever get the feeling like you are in great danger (that evil is present) and something awful could happen any minute? Sometimes, it happens so fast that you don't have time to even pray, "Lord protect me." That panicky feeling takes over and you do whatever it takes to protect you and/or your loved ones and get away from the situation as quickly as possible.

Then later, when the danger is past, you look back with awe and gratitude, knowing that God was really protecting you from harm.

I've experienced a few of those kinds of situations recently and they remind me over and over how God does care for us. I'm not saying that we are always protected from painful situations or the evil decisions of people who don't have Christ in their hearts. Sometimes things do happen, even to the children of God, because of the sin of the world. I'm not sure how God decides when to intervene in these situations and when not to. That's where trusting His wisdom must prevail.

The two stories I am sharing here, though, cannot be anything short of God's protection! Bad results should have and could have happened, especially with the first situation.

• Over Christmas vacation, we were down on the beaches of South Carolina. The weather wasn't hot, but much warmer than our snow-covered Indiana! Because of this, there weren't a lot of tourists walking along the shore, especially once the sun started to set. We felt pretty safe, since we were staying at a big oceanfront hotel and there were lots of employees and several guests staying there. It was the night before Christmas. We had spent the day on the beach, but our son wanted to go out after dark, just to see what we could find in animal life. *A few years back when visiting, we found white ghost crabs running into their little holes in the sand. So, off we went. It must have been around 10 p.m. Now, I must have felt some precaution was needed because on the way out of the hotel I asked if we should take some pepper spray/mace with us, as we usually had some with us in the car. But it just happened that we left it at home this particular time. We did have a flashlight, though. So, we decided we would just go a little ways down the beach and come back and we would be fine.
                
  Well, several yards down, we saw a few people, we thought either older teens or young men, standing on the beach, smoking some cigarettes. It was so dark out that, if it hadn't been for the glow of the cigarettes, we wouldn't have seem them at all. We walked by them without a word, my son, briefly shining the flashlight their direction. The tide was going out, so there was a small pool of water collecting between the shoreline and near the inner beach, where houses were. After walking about 5 minutes we decided to head back to the hotel, and were jumping across this pool, one at a time. My hubby was the last to cross and just as he did, out of the vast darkness, my son and I saw a figure coming up behind him, moving in quickly. The 'guy' was definitely following us, crossing right where we had crossed. My son whispered, 'Dad, there's a guy following behind you!'  Once my hubby turned and saw him, his protective instinct kicked in, which probably was one thing that saved our lives. This guy, whom my hubby suspected was one of the guys we passed smoking, was obviously up to no good, and had followed us all the way down the beach. Instead of running, which probably would have put us in more danger, hubby walked right up to the guy, which I think threw him off, as he acted all flustered and nervous. He had his hand in his jacket, which looked like he might pull something out of it, but then stuck out his hand to shake hands with my hubby, and started saying that he just wanted to "wish us a Merry Christmas and everything was going to be o.k."  In our best fearless voices we all said "thanks and wished him a Merry Christmas, too." He turned and walked back along the water's edge and we walked towards the houses, first slowly, then VERY quickly. 
  
  Later, back at the hotel, hubby said he had a gut feeling the 'stalker' was planning on robbing us. We weren't positive, but were thinking he was either drunk or high. The beach was so dark and the roar of the tide loud enough, that even if we had screamed for help, nobody probably would have heard us. My brave hubby said he was ready to take the guy down, if he pulled anything out of his jacket, but gladly that didn't happen. As I contemplated all that had just occurred, and our stupidity in going out on a dark beach in the first place, I knew that God had protected us from danger. Obviously, we don't know what the guy was planning on doing, but all-in-all, it was just an odd occurrence. Over and over again, I gave thanks to God for His protection, as did my son and hubby. It could have ended very differently!

• The second situation happened early just this morning. (This situation was very similar to one we experienced several years ago around Christmastime at our old farmhouse.)         

Overcoming Disappointment and My Brain of Mush!

Feeling disappointment is a part of life. Letting that disappointment control your attitude and behavior doesn't have to become the result.

It's been a week since I put my camera memory card into the little slot, closed the lid, and hit the 'on' button. The camera came on, but instead of the normal auto focus, the words "memory card error" shined across the screen. Attempt, after attempt brought the same result. No picture or videos; just errors and blank options.

"Great", I thought. " I didn't save my video clip."

I called a computer repair shop in town. "Well", said the techie, "those cards quite often have problems. That's why you're supposed to save your pictures and videos on the computer. There is a slight chance that I may be able to recover your stuff on the card, but it is a very slight chance. And your card will be ruined, once the attempt is made."

"Hey, I'm willing to try anything!" I retorted.
You see, the video I wanted was very special to me.

On December 24 of 2012, my hubby and I celebrated (a little late) our 25th wedding anniversary by renewing our vows on the beaches of South Carolina. We had a beautiful short ceremony and we got it all on video, to keep the event alive.  I was so excited the first time I watched the video, once we got home! It came out so clear and was well done! I was SO excited to show my friends and family what a sweet ceremony it was! It was about the most romantic 8 minutes of my life!

Then it was gone that quickly. The techie gave me little hope, but that was enough for me. So I left the card with him, in hopes of success. The next day he reported back to me that he found most of the photos on the card and even a few videos, but not the video of our renewal.

Oh, I was bummed! I went home and studied the ones he did recover. There was one video that still would not allow me to open it. I called the techie again and told him about it. In his "fix-it" determination, he worked on it again, trying another program.

A day later, he called me back. "I got the video clip!" he exclaimed. I was shocked and exhilarated all at once!! I made another trip to the repair shop, where he downloaded the video to my laptop, but first played a few seconds of the video to make sure it was what I wanted. "Yes" I exclaimed! "That's it!" I could not thank him enough!

Back home again, I went right to the video to watch the long-awaited 8-minute clip. The beginning seemed a little different than what I had remembered. It cut in and out, played for about 30 seconds, then abruptly ended. I tried again and again it didn't play all through.

My heart sank. "No! Not again!"
It appeared that, in reality, only a small amount of the video had been recovered. Not much to go on, for sure!

I was twice disappointed.  My emotions had been hijacked and thrown around so much in the last couple of days that I didn't know how to respond.
My stomach started to hurt.
"Why was this upsetting me so much?" I asked myself.
There were several photos that had been recovered. So I had at least SOMETHING.
I know I'm an emotional person by nature, but this was ridiculous!! 
What could I do to overcome my disappointment?

Asking the Right Question                      

After many years of hurts and frustration, I finally realized that the question I should ask God isn't "Why, Lord?" but rather, "What now, Lord?"

• but it's hard to ask the right question when you’re feeling disappointed. It's hard to ask when your heart is breaking. It's hard to ask “What now?” when expectations and dreams have been shattered.
• But your life will begin to change when you start asking God, "What would you have me do now, Lord? God is eager to show you what he wants you to do next.

Where to Take Your Heartaches

In the face of trouble, our natural tendency is not to ask the right question. Our natural tendency is to complain. Unfortunately, griping to other people rarely helps solve our problems. Instead, it tends to drive people away

• But we can't just let it go. We need to pour our heart out to someone. Disappointment is too heavy a burden to bear. If we let disappointments pile up, they lead to discouragement. Too much discouragement leads to despair.

• God listens. He'd rather have us empty our heart to him than keep that bitterness inside. He is not offended by our discontent. 
•  God has the power to change us, our situation, or both. He knows all the facts and he knows the future. He knows exactly what needs to be done.

The Answer to 'What Now?'

When we pour out our hurt to God and find the courage to ask him, "What do you want me to do now, Lord?," we can expect him to answer.

•  The Bible is such an important guidebook that we should immerse ourselves in it regularly.

•  Seeking God's answer to "What now?" helps us grow in faith. Through experience, we learn that God is trustworthy. He can take our disappointments and work them for our good.

 No matter how painful your disappointment may be, God's answer to your question of "What now, Lord?" always begins with this simple command: "Trust me. Trust me."
 (Source)

I had to sit down and consider so many other things to counter-act my disappointment. I started writing all that God would have me learn/gain from this situation.
1. There are many things I can be thankful for...At least I had the photos. At least my hubby loves me enough to plan to renew vows with me. At least I can remember most of the ceremony and all that took place!
2. Maybe I am putting too much emphasis on romance in the relationship. Yes, some romance is a good thing, but it too loses its effect on us as time goes by. The reality is, romance is usually temporary, anyways. Love, though, is for eternity.
3. God is in control. If He wants me to have memories of this on video, He will provide a door to open that will provide it to me.

Along with this disappointment, January has proven to be a busy month, so far! We had several windows replaced in our house and my schedule has been anything but normal. Some days I feel like my brain is pure mush....a million things going in there and everything is in chaos. I take a deep breath when I start each day, saying a prayer that the Lord will get me though. I pray for peace, patience, joy, and trust in Him alone!

Resolved to Praise the Lord!
In 2012, I practiced writing out the gifts God placed in my life. In 2013, I want to continue that practice, no matter what God brings into my life. Some days, I may list gifts that are listed in the Joy Dare by Ann Voskamp. Other days, like today, I will write straight from my heart. I will continue counting from where I left off in my last post, where I listed my gifts.(Here)

Three gifts miraculous:
1,185 - My brother, coming home the first week of 2013, after being hospitalized for 3 months.
1,186 - Being able to go to South Carolina with my hubby and son to renew wedding vows on the beach.
1,187 -  Letting go of my disappointments and trusting God.

 Other gifts:
1,188 - A son who still enjoys spending time with his parents.
1,189 - Getting a little goofy....just for fun!

 1,190 - Walking the beach with our doggies.

 1,191- Enjoying a beautiful ocean view, with the sound of the waves coming in.

 1,192 - Unique artwork (graffiti) that my son liked.

 1,193 - A hug from my son at the beach.

 1,194 - My hubby relaxing with Sophie, watching t.v.

 1,195 - Historical grave-site in South Carolina

This man wore many hats in his day.

 1,196 - Back in Indiana...a quiet, snow-covered spot by the lake.

1,197 - A gorgeous pink sunrise on a cold winter morning.

Linking over at these blog parties:
Walk with Him Wednesday (A Holy Experience)
Winsome Wednesday(My Daily Walk in His Grace)

Thankful Thursday (Grace Alone) Hearts 4 Home Thursday (Our Simple Country Life)
  Sharing His Beauty (Beauty In His Grip)
God-Bumps & God-Incidences(Getting Down With Jesus)

One Thing We Can Count On: A Promise of Many Blessings

People will always let us down. 
Money, things, jobs, and all this world offers us may fill a temporary need, but in an instant they can all be lost or taken from us.
Schedules, plans, goals, and dreams can even be changed or be out of reach for us.

Life isn't always a rose garden....There will be times of sickness, sadness, stress, and chaos.

When we are feeling like all is falling apart, what can we count on?
Not even our feelings are dependable. 
They change, day to day. Sometimes they will deceive us. 

In truth there is only One person and one thing we can depend on.

“For men are not cast off by the Lord forever. 

Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love.” (Lamentations 3:31-32 NIV)

I consider how the Lord has gotten me through many times of hardship, when I have had questions about why or how things could happen. When I've been at the end of my rope and had no strength left, He is here to pull me up out of the depths of despair.

 "Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me." (Psalm 54:4)

And when I wonder if joy can ever return to my life, He plants a seed of hope and gratitude within me for even the simplest blessings. Even the long, hard, tiring days are seen in a different light, for He sustains me!

There is one thing we can count on...but it's not anything that this world values. If we trust in our Savior's ways, we are promised many blessings from the Lord.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ." Ephesians 1: 3(NKJV)

 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Listing my gifts from the October Joy Dare list.

3 gifts orange:
1,001- Bright pumpkins, stacked and carved.
1,002- A beautiful autumn sunset.
1,003- The changing leaves, preparing to fall off their trees for winter.

3 gifts falling:
1,004- Many, many leaves.
1,005- Falling temperatures...even though I'm not a fan of the cold!
1,006- Jumping and falling into piles of leaves!

A gift caught, let go, mid-way:
1,007- caught: The sparkling of sunlight on the lake on a sunny afternoon. 

1,008- let go:  what is behind me.

Philippians 3:12 – 14 (NIV)
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

1,009- mid-way: Midway between this earthly life and heaven....caught in the middle...I hold on to God's Word!

3 gifts reaped:
1,010- fields reaping the harvest of corn...
1,011- and soybeans.
1,012- Galatians 6:7-8: "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting."

3 gifts returned-
1,013- My wallet, when I left it at work and didn't know until the next day.
1,014- I returned home from a long trip with my son, who went to see a dental specialist...5 hour round trip.(so glad to be home!)
1,015- Having returned to the workforce, after 4 years of being a full-time mom/homemaker.

3 gifts redeemed:
1,016- "I thought I could have leaped from earth to heaven at one spring when I first saw my sins drowned in the Redeemer's blood."  Charles Spurgeon 
1,017 - "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace"  Ephesians 1:7  
1,018- - Beautiful song!!! "Redeemed"

A gift baked, stirred, eaten:
1,019- baked: fresh pumpkin rolls.
1,020- stirred:
1,021- eaten: homemade grape jelly, gifted to us from a friendly neighbor.

3 gifts prayed for:
1,022- a new job
1,023- my brother's healing/better health
1,024-my son to make wise choices and have more joy in his life.

3 gifts praised for:
1,025- my new job!
1,026- comfort and peace, in spite of not being healed immediately.
1,027- trusting God will answer my prayers, in His time.

3 hard eucharisteo:
1,028- Giving my son's future over to God (again, and again)
1,029- Trusting God to provide.
1,030- Praising God, when my family is feeling oppressed.

3 gifts of change:
1,031- Adjusting to a new schedule (working evenings)
1,032- The changing of seasons...
1,033-  The changing of how the lake looks, as summer turns into fall.

A gift small, smaller, smallest:

1,034- Small: My 4 pound Chihuahua, Jet...with his sweet temperament.

1,035- Smaller: My feisty 3 pound Chihuahua, Sophie, who waits impatiently to have her freedom...

wants to be out and about... 

and loves to investigate with her big "brother". 

but doesn't like the cold fall winds that blow off the lake...

1,036- Smallest: The unborn fetus (life)

Local pregnancy center,saving unborn babies every week.
(Annual fundraiser)

3 gifts of the promise of blessings:
1,037- Times of rest and relaxation. 

1,038- A rainbow of promise, after many showers! 


1,039- There is a day coming when Christ returns and takes us to live with Him in heaven!(What a wonderful promise and blessing!)

  Linking over at these blog parties:

 Sharing His Beauty (Beauty In His Grip) 
Multitude on Mondays (A Holy Experience)
 On Your Heart Tuesdays(A Pause in the Path) 

Soli Deo Gloria (Finding Heaven)

Heart Reflected(State of the Heart)

God-Bumps & God-Incidences(Getting Down With Jesus)

Word Filled Wednesday(Internet Cafe')