Friday, October 13, 2017

Whatever He Did The Lord Made it Succeed. These Are The Results.


Whatever He did God made it succeed. I love to read the story of Joseph life. I know his story like the back of my hand, I have read it so often, I could probably write a book on it. Everything he did or touched was a blessing. In the Pit He prospered, the Prison and the Palace he Prospered. 

Genesis 39:2-6, “…the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house because of Joseph; so the Lord’s blessing was on everything that Potiphar owned, in the house and in the field.  So Potiphar left all that he owned in Joseph’s charge; and with Joseph there he did not [need to] pay attention to anything except the food he ate…” (AMP); Genesis 39:23, “The warden paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph’s care because the Lord was with him; whatever Joseph did, the Lord made it prosper.” (AMP)

HIGHLY FAVORED: Joseph’s family history had a big impact on the direction of his life. This journey from favored son to slave, prisoner to Egypt’s second-in-command, ultimately led to provisions for all of Israel during seven years of famine when the nation otherwise would have perished. Jacob’s life is a story of how God can take the worst possible circumstances and turn them into a positive outcome for His people.

JOSEPH’S PARALLELS TO JESUS:
1.      
BOTH WERE HIGHLY FAVORED BY THEIR FATHERS: (Genesis 37:3, “Now as it happened, Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other children, because Joseph was born to him in his old age. So one day Jacob gave him a special gift – a brightly colored coat” (TLB); Matthew 3:17, “And a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, and I am wonderfully pleased with him” (TLB);
2.    
  BOTH WERE SHEPHERDS TO THEIR FATHER’S SHEEP: (Genesis 37:2, “Jacob’s son Joseph was now seventeen years old. His job, along with his half brothers, the sons of his father’s wives Bilhah and Zilpah, was to shepherd his father’s flock…” (TLB); John 10:11, “I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” TLB);
3.     
BOTH EXPERIENCED EXTREME TEMPTATION: (Genesis 39:7, “One day at about this time Potiphar’s wife began making eyes at Joseph, and suggested that he come and sleep with her” (TLB); Matthew 4:1, “Then Jesus was led out into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit, to be tempted there by Satan” TLB);
4.     
BOTH WERE SOLD FOR THE PRICE OF A SLAVE: (Genesis 37:28, “So when the traders came by, his brothers pulled Joseph out of the well and sold him to them for twenty pieces of silver, and they took him along to Egypt” TLB; Matthew 26:15, “and asked, “How much will you pay me to get Jesus into your hands?” And they gave him thirty coins” TLB);
5.    
  BOTH WERE BOUND WITH CHAINS: (Genesis 39:20, “He threw Joseph into prison, where the king’s prisoners were kept in chains” TLB; Matthew 27:2, “Then they sent him in chains to Pilate, the Roman governor” TLB);
6.     
BOTH FORGAVE THOSE WHO HARMED THEM: (Genesis 45:14-15, “Weeping with joy, he embraced Benjamin, and Benjamin did the same. Then Joseph kissed each of his brothers and wept over them, and after that they began talking freely with him” (NLT); Luke 23:34, “Father, forgive these people,” Jesus said, “for they don’t know what they are doing…” TLB); and
7.      
BOTH SAVED THEIR NATION WHEN GOD TURNED WHAT WAS EVIL TO GOOD:(Genesis 50:20, “As far as I am concerned, God turned into good what you meant for evil, for he brought me to this high position I have today so that I could save the lives of many people” TLB; 1 Corinthians 2:7-8, “Our words are wise because they are from God, telling of God’s wise plan to bring us into the glories of heaven. This plan was hidden in former times, though it was made for our benefit before the world began. But the great men of the world have not understood it; if they had, they never would have crucified the Lord of Glory” TLB).

May you as people of God, and Disciples of Christ, likewise, live lifestyles that Parallel that of your Savior! Now, to learn some leadership lessons from Joseph’s Journey!

LEADERSHIP LESSON #1 FROM JOSEPH’S JOURNEY: POSSESS THE POWER OF FORGIVENESS! (Genesis 50:18-21, All those years that Joseph languished as an Egyptian slave could have been spent plotting revenge on his brothers. He could have easily let his anger turn to hatred, but instead, he chose to forgive them. When he later found himself second-in-command over all of Egypt, his brothers stood before him and he spoke to them kindly, assuring them of his forgiveness. True Leaders know that Forgiveness frees them from the bondage of past wrongs. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:26-32 MSG).

LEADERSHIP LESSON #2 FROM JOSEPH’S JOURNEY: PROVE LOYAL AND TRUSTWORTHY! (Genesis 39:2-6, His Egyptian Master became very fond of Joseph and made him his personal aide. He put him in charge of all his personal affairs, turning everything over to him. From that moment on, God blessed the home of the Egyptian—all because of Joseph. Like an Effective Leader, Joseph demonstrated that every task – no matter how big or small – should be done in God’s Honor. Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you’re serving is Christ. The sullen servant who does shoddy work will be held responsible. Being a follower of Jesus doesn’t cover up bad work.” (Colossians 3:22-25 MSG).

LEADERSHIP LESSON #3 FROM JOSEPH’S JOURNEY: LEARN TO TOLERATE TEMPORARY TOUGH TIMES! (Genesis 40:23, Truth is, Joseph could have tried to make things happen on his own (Example: Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, Ishmael); but instead he waited on God to position him in the right place. God reminded the cupbearer of his interaction with Joseph when the king dreamed a dream, and the cupbearer secured him an audience with the king, which quickly led to a lucrative advisory position in the palace. Which is why, you should always heed this Scriptural Admonishment: 

LEADERSHIP LESSON #4 FROM JOSEPH’S JOURNEY: YOUR GIFT WILL GET YOU THROUGH! (Genesis 41:39-43, Joseph had an amazing gift that God used to save Egypt and the nation of Israel from famine. Joseph’s journey from the day of his brothers’ betrayal to the day he stood before Pharaoh to interpret his dream, ultimately resulted in salvation for Joseph’s family.

LEADERSHIP LESSON #5 FROM JOSEPH’S JOURNEY: MAINTAIN A GODLY REPUTATION! (Genesis 39:6-10, Joseph was unwilling to compromise his relationship with God. Even though Potiphar’s wife tempted Joseph with assurances that her husband would be none the wiser, he knew dishonoring Potiphar was a break in trust with his master and, even more important, a sin against God. Joseph weighed her proposition and made a decision that kept him in right standing with God.

LEADERSHIP LESSON #6 FROM JOSEPH’S JOURNEY: ALWAYS BE A BLESSING!(Genesis 17:3-8, Like Joseph, when we live our lives according to God’s design, we, too, can be blessed to be a blessing. “And now that we are Christ’s we are the true descendants of Abraham, and all of God’s promises to him belong to us” (Galatians 3:29 TLB)

I admonish you to follow along the Journey of Joseph and glean from his nuggets of Effective Leadership. Parallel the Life of Jesus; Possess the Power of Forgiveness; Prove Loyal and Trustworthy; Learn to Tolerate Temporary Tough Times; Use Your Gift to Get You Through; Maintain a Godly Reputation; and Always Be a Blessing to Others. Then, You Will Enjoy Favor Even in Unfavorable Times, Just Like Joseph!

Blessings  
J.P. Olson

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