God sees things as they ultimately should be. Know God will use evil (not cause evil, use evil) to make things the way they should be. This is true peace.
Joseph: It’s just perfect!
Too often I wait for the perfect time, perfect place, perfect person to do the thing I feel called to. What a waste! God can bless the imperfect places of life, so I don’t need to wait for perfection to act.
Joseph: Where you go…
I have a simple philosophy: you are a leader. Everyone leads at some point. As a leader, there is one simple rule – take your followers somewhere.
Joseph: better over bitter
I have agency over my feelings about God, myself and others. I can choose to be angry and bitter, or I can choose to believe God is doing something better.
Judah: A 180 degree change
the narrative shows Joseph and Judah’s lives paralleled. Just as Joseph was physically enslaved and imprisoned, Judah was emotionally and spiritually enslaved and imprisoned. As Joseph is finding freedom physically, so is Judah spiritually. As Joseph is working to save his family, so is Judah. As Joseph is finding redemption, so is Judah.
Judah: It’s you and me.
It’s never too late for the unrighteous to become righteous – no matter what evil you’ve done. There is always the opportunity for redemption. Sometimes it’s just a long road there.
Jacob: Squeezed into Decision
The trials you’re encountering today are most likely squeezing you into tough decisions. You get to choose one of two things: God is in the middle of this, or God has nothing to do with this at all.
Joseph: Finding Freedom in the Truth
You find freedom when you tell the truth. You equally find freedom when you believe the truth. The truth sets us free – even when painful.
Joseph: Skills to Pay the Bills
Somehow, even in his early years, Joseph recognized the importance of the presence of God and learning new skills. Those 15 years weren’t lost but an opportunity for development.
Judah: A Road to Redemption
Shame is a cycle, and if it’s not broken, it will lead to destruction. But this is exactly what God specializes in…redemption. God sees more in Judah than he sees in himself, so God pursues Judah with an unlikely person – a prostitute who is actually his daughter-in-law.
