Joseph is Bought by Potiphar - Genesis 39:1-2

Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an Egyptian officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the bodyguard, bought him from the Ishmaelites, who had taken him down there. And the Lord was with Joseph, so he became a successful man. And he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.

Genesis chapter 38 was a unique though important sub-plot to the main story of the book. This chapter (39) takes us back to Joseph and his saga. He had been taken to Egypt by the Ishmaelite traders and sold to Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh’s bodyguard.

Now right from the start of his time in Egypt, we read “the Lord was with Joseph”. Many of us would be satisfied with just that assurance and the presence of God in our lives. But there is something interesting that happens when God comes to be with us and we welcome His participation in our day-to-day business. Scripture says Joseph became a successful man – from the start. That does not mean he became wealthy or powerful. It means he was successful at whatever he had to do in life. In fact, we read that he was simply a servant “in the house of his master the Egyptian”.

Here’s the lesson we can take from this. You or I might have to go into our ‘Egypt’ for a while. But as a Christian, you can know that the Lord will be with you there as well. And you will be successful at whatever you have to experience down there. Not as man would define success, but as God would define it. You’ll have peace and joy and purpose as you serve Him. I think more than ever, with life as it is today and with all the curves that are thrown our way through relationships, government decisions, employment experiences, illnesses, and so much more, the only way for each of us to travel to our own ‘Egypt’ when life takes us there, is to make sure “the Lord is with us” – we can’t leave ‘home’ without Him. It is my prayer that with God by your side, your journey will indeed become a life adventure.

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