Recently, one of our lessons from the inside was the story of Joseph and how God used his story for more. God used Joseph's story for HIS glory, the good, the bad, and the ugly. We hope you enjoy this lesson:
Bishop Desmond Tutu is a bishop that lives in South Africa. Decades ago he was appointed by the South African government to bring healing to his nation after decades of civil unrest. When asked who he wanted on his committee he said, “I want the victims. I want the victims that were raped, saw their parents killed, and saw their homes be burned to the ground. But,” he said, “they cannot have stayed victims. If they serve on my commission, they must be people who have forgiven their oppressors. These people,” he said, “will be the wounded healers of South Africa.”
The story of Joseph in the Old Testament follows this same theme. He even says as much in Genesis 50:20, “You (referring to his brothers) intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.” We are not going to read the entire story of Joseph because it covers thirteen chapters in the book of Genesis. But we are going to make note of some high points and low points and what it all means for you.
The life-theme of every major character in Scripture, every leader who follows God is the same: They are participating with God to save many lives. Noah, because of his friendship with God saved his family thus saved a generation. Moses, because of his obedience saved the Israelites from slavery. Esther, saved the Jews in the book of Esther. Jesus, saved us ALL through His sacrifice.
The story is no different with Joseph:
His dad’s favorite son.
Able to interpret dreams accurately.
Thrown into a pit by his brothers.
Sold into slavery by his brothers.
Becomes a servant for Potiphar.
Earns Potiphar’s trust and becomes the manager of his household.
Gets hit on my Potiphar's wife.
Literally, runs away from her.
Potiphar puts him in jail for what his wife said about Joseph.
Earns the trust of the guards in jail.
Gets put in charge of the jail.
Interprets the dreams of prisoners.
Interprets Pharaoh’s dreams accurately.
Gets a high ranking seat with Pharaoh.
His brothers come to him in need (not knowing its him).
He eventually gives his brothers what they came for (food).
He reveals himself to his brothers and shows them kindness.
Finds out his father is dying.
Given special privileges by Pharaoh regarding his father’s death.
That’s were we pick up in Genesis 50:14. Read through verse 21.
Joseph had plenty of opportunities to play the victim card. But at every negative turn in his story he persevered. Several times he could have called it quits and stopped excelling and stopped doing his best but he kept pursuing something bigger. Victor Frankl says this, “When we find a redemptive perspective toward our suffering, it ceases to be suffering.”
I’m giving you all some stuff to work on if you are interested in turning your story into a redemptive story. I want to challenge you to think about your past. All the good and the bad and tag your story with a theme. This probably won’t be done in one day but it may take several days, maybe even weeks but once you figure it out, it could mean a totally different future for you and your family.
Kaitlin Wernet says, "Nothing in God's will is isolated from the abundance He intends for us."
After this lesson we broke into smaller groups and discussed what the ladies wanted to do once they were released and if they could see God's hand moving even while they were in prison. Like any good teacher when you study the scriptures you want to put yourself in the character's shoes to truly grasp what is happening. The same can be said for these ladies. Put yourself in their shoes: they are away from family, possibly kids, possibly husbands, they are trying to make themselves better. Some even get saved in prison.
We pray daily they get saved on the inside so when they are released they have the hope of Jesus to get them through the struggles that put them in prison. We want to challenge you to do the same. Pray for these ladies daily on the inside. Pray for those that are so close to making a decision for Christ. Pray for those that have made a decision for Christ but their spouse on the outside has not.