July 1 & 5, 2020
How does God form our character through the ups and downs of life?
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” … You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. —1 Peter 2:9 ESV
What happens at the end of the story is what the beginning of the story starts out to be.
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. —Genesis 50:20 ESV
These are the generations of Jacob.
Joseph, being seventeen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. And Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father. —Genesis 37:2 ESV
The first mistake: Joseph was a
Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him. —Genesis 37:3-4 ESV
The second mistake: Joseph
Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more. He said to them, “Hear this dream that I have dreamed: Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.” —Genesis 37:5-7
The third mistake: Joseph was
God gives us dreams for the benefit of others, not to make us better than others.
His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words. —Genesis 37:8
Who is right and who is to blame in this situation?
How is Joseph’s character being developed through this?
You believe that you can justify it.
For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. —James 3:16
It is my response when life isn’t fair that shows the condition of my heart.
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. —Philippians 2:3 ESV
Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” —Genesis 37:9
The sun - his Dad, Jacob.
The moon - his father’s wives.
Eleven stars - his brothers.
But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?” And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind. —Genesis 37:10-11
“God is more concerned with our character than with our achievements. Achievements have importance only in the realm of time. Character is eternal. It determines what we will be through eternity.”
God gives us dreams not to tell us what we will accomplish but what we will become.
Three simple words: “Trust the Process.”
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people[a] should be kept alive, as they are today.” —Genesis 50:20
FILL OUT THIS WEEKS CONNECTION CARD HERE:
- I am choosing to follow Jesus for the first time.
- I struggle with jealousy and I need God to help me.
- I have allowed someone in my life to squash my dreams but I am now choosing to trust the process.
- This week our family will read and discuss Genesis 37.