February 20, 2025 • 23 mins
The Life of Joseph – From the Pit to the Prison to the Palace
Join us for an inspiring episode as we explore the incredible journey of Joseph, a story of faith, resilience, and divine purpose straight from the Book of Genesis. Joseph's life takes him from a dark pit to a dismal prison, and finally, to the heights of power in Pharaoh's palace. Discover how Joseph's trials teach us vital lessons about trusting God in our darkest moments and maintaining integrity amidst temptation.
As we unpack Joseph's experiences, you’ll be encouraged to see how God can transform your challenges into stepping stones for greatness. This episode is a powerful reminder that even when others may mean harm, God is always working for your good. Tune in to learn how to embrace your own journey, find hope in difficult times, and understand that your struggles are not in vain.
Scripture mentioned:
- Genesis 50:20 “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.”
- Deuteronomy 31:8 "The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you"
- Galatians 6:9 “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”
Related Episode: "There's a Purpose for Your Pain" https://www.buzzsprout.com/1113380/episodes/4816958
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Welcome and thanks for tuning in to Real People,
real Talk relevant conversationsthat take you from surviving to
thriving.
This is the podcast that goesthere.
My name is Paul Calco and I'myour host.
Now let's talk.
Hello, thriver, and welcome toReal People, real Talk, the
(00:32):
podcast ministry that equips youto thrive in your walk with the
Lord, to thrive in yourrelationships and to thrive in
your mental health.
And today's episode is allabout thriving in your walk with
the Lord, as I'm bringing you asermon today, a sermonic
episode, if you will, about thelife of Joseph.
I'm calling this one the lifeof Joseph, from the pit to the
(00:56):
prison to the palace.
Now, joseph's journey from thepit to the prison to the palace
is not just this story ofhardship, but rather it's a
profound narrative of faith,resilience and God's redemptive
power.
I feel like preaching already.
Allow me to set the scene.
Let's go back to the first bookof the Bible, the first book of
(01:17):
the law, genesis.
Joseph was born to a familyfull of dysfunction.
He was the favorite son of hisfather, jacob, and his mother,
rachel, as he was born to hisfather at an older age, and
Jacob showed that favoritism toJoseph in a very tangible and
public way and, as you canimagine, it caused some problems
(01:40):
.
He even gave him a coat of manycolors, thus setting Joseph
apart from his brothers.
Can you imagine the dynamics ofthat household?
The jealousy, the animosity,just turmoil.
Genesis 37, 4 tells us.
But when his brothers saw thattheir father loved him more than
all of his brothers, they hatedhim and could not speak
(02:03):
peaceably to him.
In addition to that, joseph'slife was further complicated by
his dreams.
Now let's go to God's word.
Y'all know how I feel aboutGod's word.
That's the most important partof any sermon.
That's the most important partof any episode.
So I want to read for youGenesis, chapter 37, verses five
through 11.
And Joseph had a dream, and whenhe told it to his brothers,
(02:26):
they hated him all the more.
He said to them listen to thisdream that I had.
We were binding sheaves ofgrain out in the field and
suddenly my sheaf rose and stoodupright, while your sheaves
gathered around mine and boweddown to it.
His brother said to him do youintend to reign over us?
Will you actually rule us?
(02:47):
And that hated him all the morebecause of his dream and what
he has said.
Then he had another dream andhe told it to his brothers and
said listen, I had another dream, and this time the sun and the
moon and 11 stars were bounddown to me.
When he told this to his father, as well as his brothers, his
father rebuked him and said whatis this dream that you have?
(03:09):
Will your mother and I and yourbrothers actually come and bow
down to the ground before you?
His brothers were jealous ofhim, but his father kept the
matter in mind.
The dreams that Joseph hadproduced more jealousy.
And here's our first lesson fortoday Dreams can provoke
(03:31):
jealousy and strife.
When God has given you a dreamand when God gives you a vision
for your life, it may not beunderstood and appreciated by
everybody else.
You have to be mindful.
You have to be careful of whoyou tell your dreams to, because
if you tell it to the wrongpeople, they can speak
(03:52):
negatively and plant seeds ofdoubt in your heart and over
your dream.
It would behoove you to walk inwisdom and discernment and be
very careful who you share yourdreams with.
Next, we see that Joseph findshimself in a pit.
Joseph 11 brothers.
They plotted against him andone day they seized him,
(04:13):
stripped him of his coat andtossed him into the pit.
Imagine the feeling of betrayalyour very own blood brothers.
They capture you and throw youinto a pit.
I can only imagine the fearthat he felt in such a dark and
cold place and the pitrepresents not just a physical
(04:34):
location but also a spiritualand emotional state Could be a
place of confusion, a place ofabandonment, a place of despair.
Have you been there?
Have you encountered a pit ofyour own?
I believe you may have, becausein our lives we all encounter
pits and pits come in variousforms.
(04:55):
Your pit could be a loss of ajob, a betrayal of a friend, an
illness or a broken relationship.
These moments can feel hopelessand isolating.
But the life of joseph teachesus that god can use our pits for
his purpose.
While joseph was in the pit, hedidn't see the bigger picture,
(05:15):
but psalms 40 and 2 reassures usby saying he also brought me
out of a horrible pit, out of ofthe mire of clay, and set my
feet upon a rock.
So God doesn't abandon us inour pits.
Instead, he can use those pitsas a time to build our character
and to strengthen our faith.
Now, after being pulled out ofthe pits, joseph was sold into
(05:38):
slavery to the Israelites andthen taken to Egypt.
Could you imagine the rollercoaster of emotions that one may
have felt?
Fear, anger, confusion.
Once again betrayal.
First his brothers, they throwhim into a pit and then they
sell him into slavery.
Now, moving forward into Egypt,joseph was purchased by a man
(06:01):
named Potiphar who was anofficer of the Pharaoh.
Genesis 39 and 2 tells us theLord was with Joseph and he was
a successful man, and he was inthe house of his master, the
Egyptian.
No matter where you may findyourself in life, it could be a
pit, it could be bondage.
Whatever the problem or seasonor situation may be, god has a
(06:22):
way of showing up and showingout in your life.
God's favor has no bounds.
His favor and his hand and hisblessings have no limits.
God has the power to make yousucceed in any season.
God has the power to make yousucceed in any situation, no
(06:44):
matter how dire, no matter whatthe naysayers may say, the
doubters may say, the haters maysay.
God is in control.
He has all power in his hand.
You just have to hold on toyour faith.
Now, joseph.
He worked hard and he earnedPotiphar's trust.
He was even promoted to overseePotiphar's house.
(07:06):
It seems like everywhere thatJoseph went and we want to see
this thing later on everywherehe went, god promoted him to a
place of authority, promoted himto the top.
But in this instant Joseph'srise was met with temptation.
Potiphar's wife attempted toseduce him and when he refused
her advances, she falselyaccused him.
(07:29):
When God is blessing you andwhen God is elevating you, when
God is promoting you, you mustalways be on guard against the
enemy.
You must always be on guardagainst sin and against
temptation.
But I love Joseph's response totemptation.
That's found in Genesis,chapter 39, verse 9.
He says no one is greater inthis house than I am.
(07:51):
My master has withheld nothingfrom me except you, because
you're his wife.
How then could I do such awicked thing and sin against God
?
And that's the same attitudethat we should have.
When temptation knocks on ourdoor, we should respond, not by
giving in, but we should respondby saying how can I do such a
(08:13):
wicked thing and sin against myGod?
He's been too good for me to dothat.
And let me say this about sinSin can be defined in one word,
and that disobedience.
Either we do what god tells usnot to do or we don't do what
god has told us to do.
And sin, no matter how good itmay look on the outside, it's
(08:34):
nothing to play with Sin willtake you further than you want
to go.
Sin will keep you longer thanyou want to be kept, and sin
will cost you more than what youwant to pay.
Sin is detrimental to us.
So.
So I encourage you, my brother,and I encourage you, my sister,
to resist temptation and fleefrom sin.
(08:54):
My friend, and this leads us toour second lesson Integrity in
the face of temptation iscrucial.
So I want to exhort you topursue purity.
I want to exhort you today towalk in holiness, and I also
want to exhort you to walk inobedience.
Joseph, he chose to honor Godand to honor his master.
(09:19):
Despite the consequences, inthe face of adversity, he
maintained his integrity.
The Bible tells us in Proverbs11, 3,.
The integrity of the uprightwill guide them, but the pervers
in prison, yet again faced withhardship and betrayal.
Now check this out.
(09:47):
In Genesis, chapter 39, verses21, 22 and 23, says but the Lord
was with Joseph and showed himsteadfast love and gave him
favor in the sight of the keeperof the prison, and the keeper
of the prison put Joseph incharge of all the prisoners.
Who was in the prison?
Whatever was done there, he wasthe one that did it.
(10:08):
The keeper of the prison paidno attention to anything that
was in Joseph's charge, becausethe Lord was with him, and
whatever he did, the Lord madeit to succeed.
Let me say that one more timethe Lord was with Joseph in his
bondage, in his dire situationin the prison.
The Lord was with him andwhatever Joseph did, the Lord
(10:31):
made it succeed.
Hand was with Joseph.
Even with the handcuffs, god'spresence was with Joseph.
We are reminded once again thatno matter where we find
ourselves in life, we are neveroutside of God's reach.
(10:52):
Joseph continued to serve othersand remain faithful to God.
He was faithful to God and Godwas faithful to him.
During his time in prison,joseph interpreted the dreams of
the Pharaoh's cupbearer as wellas the Pharaoh's baker,
utilizing the gift that God gavehim.
I want you to lean in righthere.
(11:13):
Please don't allow the pits oflife and don't allow the prisons
of life, and don't allow thetough seasons of life to keep
you from using the gifts thatGod has given you.
So, once again.
Joseph interpreted the dream ofthe cupbearer and told the
cupbearer to remember him.
But when the cupbearer wasrestored and he was released
from prison and he was restoredto his rightful position, he
(11:37):
forgot about Joseph for abouttwo years.
And here's a quick note herePeople may forget about you, but
God will never forget about you.
I love what it says in Psalmchapter 136.
He remembered us in our loweststate.
His love endures forever andfreed us from our enemies, for
(11:58):
his love endures forever.
I want to encourage you today.
I want to encourage you today.
I want to encourage you on thisevening.
I want to encourage you, atwhatever time you are listening,
that God has not forgottenabout you.
People may have, but God hasnot.
His word tells us inDeuteronomy 31 and 8,.
The Lord himself goes beforeyou and will be with you.
(12:19):
He will never leave you.
He will never forsake you.
So be encouraged, my friend.
God has not forgotten about youand god is with you.
And when god is with you,blessings going to be with you.
When god is with you, successis going to be with you.
When god is with you.
His protection and his favorand so much success is going to
(12:40):
be with you when God is with you, his protection and his favor,
and so much more is going to bewith you as well.
So keep hope alive and keepyour faith in a faithful God.
Now here's our third lesson.
God can use the prisons of ourlives, and God can use the pits
of our lives to prepare us forour purpose.
(13:01):
Joseph's time in prison was notwasted.
As a matter of fact, it was atime of preparation and it was a
time of growth, and God wasbehind the scenes working things
out on his behalf.
James, chapter 1, tells us mybrethren, count it all joy when
you fall into various trials,knowing that the testing of your
(13:23):
faith produces patience, butlet patience have its perfect
work that you may be perfect andcomplete, lacking nothing.
So, from the pit to prison andnow to the palace, as we see
God's sovereignty, we see God'spower, we see God's faithfulness
on display.
(13:43):
Joseph's time in prison came toan end when the Pharaoh had some
troubling dreams of his own andno one could interpret it.
The cupbearer was like oh, youknow what?
I finally remember Joseph, andhe recommended Joseph to Pharaoh
.
What if Joseph got bitter whilehe was in prison?
What if he refused to use hisgift.
(14:04):
He said you know what?
I'm not where I want to be, I'mnot with my family, I don't
have the promotion, I'm inprison right now.
I'm not going to use this giftand if he didn't, he wouldn't
have had that interaction withthe cupbearer and that wouldn't
have led to him beingrecommended to the Pharaoh.
Thus he would have never madeit out of prison.
So I want to encourage and giveyou a real quick lesson there
(14:27):
Keep walking in obedience, nomatter what season you may be in
.
You may not be where you wantto be or how far you want to be
right now in life, and that'sokay.
But keep walking in obedience,keep being faithful to God, keep
serving him and keep servingothers.
Keep answering God's callingyour life, no matter the season.
(14:47):
Use all the gifts that God hasgraciously blessed you with.
Now, joseph, he used this giftand he interpreted the dream of
the Pharaoh predicting sevenyears of abundance followed by
seven years of famine.
I read the book of Genesis backin January and I plan on
finishing the entire Bible thisyear, and I would encourage you
(15:09):
to try this.
If you haven't read the Biblefrom cover to cover, then I
highly recommend that you getthat done this year.
That could be a real great NewYear's resolution or a goal, or
whatever you want to call it.
But I would encourage you toread God's word systematically.
Get on the reading plan.
One year, 365 days, whatevertime you're listening.
(15:31):
You can start right now, startin Genesis and go all the way to
the end.
You can Google Bible readingplan or get on the Bible app and
find a reading plan to read theBible cover to cover.
You will not be disappointed.
Now back to the show.
Now, pharaoh was so impressedthat he appointed Joseph to be
second in command over all ofEgypt.
That's huge.
(15:53):
Joseph literally started fromthe bottom, but God hand of
redemption elevated him all theway to the top.
The life of Joseph reminds usthat God can elevate us and
bless us beyond ourcircumstances.
Let me say that one more time.
The life of Joseph reminds us,and it should encourage us, that
(16:16):
God can elevate us beyond ourcircumstances.
So, no matter how dire thesituation may be, how dire the
situation may be, god has thepower to turn things around.
God has the power to turnthings around.
As a matter of fact, the Bibletells us in Psalm 75, verses 6
(16:39):
and 7, for exaltation comesneither from the east or from
the west, or from the south, butGod is a judge.
He puts down one and he exaltsanother.
Now, joseph's rise was not apersonal victory.
It was actually a part of God'sgreater plan to save many lives
(17:01):
during this famine.
And now we arrive at the climaxof Joseph's story.
After the famine struckJoseph's brothers the one that
threw him in the pit, the onethat was hating on him.
They came to Egypt looking forfood.
And guess who was in charge inEgypt?
It was their dear old brother,joseph.
And of course, they werefearful, you know, upon
(17:23):
realizing that their brother,the one that they betrayed he,
was now their savior.
Oh, how the tables have turned.
But Joseph, he was in aposition where he could have got
revenge, but he choseforgiveness over revenge.
He chose to be better insteadof being bitter.
And listen to these words inGenesis, chapter 50, verse 21,
(17:45):
of my favorite verses of theBible but as for you, you meant
evil against me, but God meantit for good in order to bring
about it as it is this day, soto save many people alive.
God is so good that he can turnother people's attempt to hurt
(18:07):
you.
It can turn other people'sattempt to harm you into a way
to help you, into a way toelevate you, into a way to favor
you and to bring you into abetter position.
This verse captures the heartof Joseph's story.
It captures the faithfulnessand the sovereignty of our great
God.
I got to read this scripturefor you one more time Genesis,
(18:30):
chapter 50, verse 20.
But, as for you, you meant evilagainst me, but God meant it
for my good, in order to bringit about as it is this day, to
save many people alive.
Joseph acknowledges the evilintentions of his brothers, but
recognizes that God was workingthrough those intentions for a
(18:52):
greater good.
Look at God.
He made Joseph's dreams cometrue and his family did have to
bow down to him after all.
So how do we apply this powerfultruth from Joseph's life in our
own lives?
Good question, and I got toanswer, and I want to give you a
(19:14):
few key takeaways.
Number one I want you to trustGod in the pits.
When you find yourself in a pit, remember that God is right,
there with you.
He would never leave you, hewould never forsake you.
He sees your struggles and hasa plan to bring you out.
Trust God in your darkestmoments, because light is on the
(19:38):
way.
Psalms 34 18 reassures us saysthe Lord is near to those who
have a broken heart and savesuch to have a contrite spirit.
Trust God in the pits.
Secondly, I want to encourageyou to be faithful in the prison
and the times of waiting andthe times of uncertainty.
(20:01):
Continue to serve God andremain faithful.
God may be preparing you forsomething greater, just as he
did with Joseph.
You just got to trust him,trust his plan and trust his
timing.
Galatians 6, 9 encourages bysaying let us not grow weary
while doing good, for in dueseason we shall reap if we do
(20:26):
not lose heart.
Be faithful in the prison.
Thirdly, I want to encourage youto embrace God's elevation.
When God lifts you up from yourcircumstances, don't forget to
honor him.
Joseph was quick to say youmeant to fight evil, but I want
you guys to look at God and seewhat he did.
So use your position to serveothers and to fulfill God's
(20:50):
purposes.
First, peter 14 reminds us aseach one has received a gift,
minister it to one another asgood stewards of the manifold
grace of God.
So when God brings you out andlifts you up.
Be sure to give God all of hisglory, because he will share his
(21:11):
glory with no one.
And finally, I want to encourageyou to forgive and to move
forward.
There may be a hard pill toswallow, but that's the best
pill you can take right nowForgive and move forward.
Just as Joseph forgave hisbrothers, we too must let go of
(21:33):
the past and let go of thosepast hurts.
Holding on to bitterness isonly going to weigh us down.
So, as I said before, I saidagain don't be bitter, but
choose to be bitter, choose toforgive, understanding that God
can turn your pain into purpose.
(21:53):
Ephesians 4.32 says to be kindto one another, tender heart,
forgiving one another, even asGod in Christ forgave you.
So the life of Joseph, from thepit to the prison to the palace,
(22:13):
and Joseph's journey, is atestament of God's faithfulness.
It's a testament of God'ssovereignty and the testament of
God's redemptive power.
May we trust that, even whenothers mean evil against us, god
can turn those circumstancesaround for our good and also for
(22:36):
his glory.
So remember your struggles.
They are not in vain.
God is always working.
Whether you see it or not,whether you feel it or not, god
is always working and he has apurpose for you, my friend.
So here's my prayer for youRight now I pray that you would
trust god in your pits.
(22:57):
I pray that you would remainfaithful in your prisons, and I
pray that you would embrace theelevation that god provides for
you, and I pray that you willforgive and move forward.
In Jesus name, amen.
Welcome and thanks for tuning in to Real People,
real Talk relevant conversationsthat take you from surviving to
thriving.
This is the podcast that goesthere.
My name is Paul Calco and I'myour host.
Now let's talk.
Hello, thriver, and welcome toReal People, real Talk, the
(00:32):
podcast ministry that equips youto thrive in your walk with the
Lord, to thrive in yourrelationships and to thrive in
your mental health.
And today's episode is allabout thriving in your walk with
the Lord, as I'm bringing you asermon today, a sermonic
episode, if you will, about thelife of Joseph.
I'm calling this one the lifeof Joseph, from the pit to the
(00:56):
prison to the palace.
Now, joseph's journey from thepit to the prison to the palace
is not just this story ofhardship, but rather it's a
profound narrative of faith,resilience and God's redemptive
power.
I feel like preaching already.
Allow me to set the scene.
Let's go back to the first bookof the Bible, the first book of
(01:17):
the law, genesis.
Joseph was born to a familyfull of dysfunction.
He was the favorite son of hisfather, jacob, and his mother,
rachel, as he was born to hisfather at an older age, and
Jacob showed that favoritism toJoseph in a very tangible and
public way and, as you canimagine, it caused some problems
(01:40):
.
He even gave him a coat of manycolors, thus setting Joseph
apart from his brothers.
Can you imagine the dynamics ofthat household?
The jealousy, the animosity,just turmoil.
Genesis 37, 4 tells us.
But when his brothers saw thattheir father loved him more than
all of his brothers, they hatedhim and could not speak
(02:03):
peaceably to him.
In addition to that, joseph'slife was further complicated by
his dreams.
Now let's go to God's word.
Y'all know how I feel aboutGod's word.
That's the most important partof any sermon.
That's the most important partof any episode.
So I want to read for youGenesis, chapter 37, verses five
through 11.
And Joseph had a dream, and whenhe told it to his brothers,
(02:26):
they hated him all the more.
He said to them listen to thisdream that I had.
We were binding sheaves ofgrain out in the field and
suddenly my sheaf rose and stoodupright, while your sheaves
gathered around mine and boweddown to it.
His brother said to him do youintend to reign over us?
Will you actually rule us?
(02:47):
And that hated him all the morebecause of his dream and what
he has said.
Then he had another dream andhe told it to his brothers and
said listen, I had another dream, and this time the sun and the
moon and 11 stars were bounddown to me.
When he told this to his father, as well as his brothers, his
father rebuked him and said whatis this dream that you have?
(03:09):
Will your mother and I and yourbrothers actually come and bow
down to the ground before you?
His brothers were jealous ofhim, but his father kept the
matter in mind.
The dreams that Joseph hadproduced more jealousy.
And here's our first lesson fortoday Dreams can provoke
(03:31):
jealousy and strife.
When God has given you a dreamand when God gives you a vision
for your life, it may not beunderstood and appreciated by
everybody else.
You have to be mindful.
You have to be careful of whoyou tell your dreams to, because
if you tell it to the wrongpeople, they can speak
(03:52):
negatively and plant seeds ofdoubt in your heart and over
your dream.
It would behoove you to walk inwisdom and discernment and be
very careful who you share yourdreams with.
Next, we see that Joseph findshimself in a pit.
Joseph 11 brothers.
They plotted against him andone day they seized him,
(04:13):
stripped him of his coat andtossed him into the pit.
Imagine the feeling of betrayalyour very own blood brothers.
They capture you and throw youinto a pit.
I can only imagine the fearthat he felt in such a dark and
cold place and the pitrepresents not just a physical
(04:34):
location but also a spiritualand emotional state Could be a
place of confusion, a place ofabandonment, a place of despair.
Have you been there?
Have you encountered a pit ofyour own?
I believe you may have, becausein our lives we all encounter
pits and pits come in variousforms.
(04:55):
Your pit could be a loss of ajob, a betrayal of a friend, an
illness or a broken relationship.
These moments can feel hopelessand isolating.
But the life of joseph teachesus that god can use our pits for
his purpose.
While joseph was in the pit, hedidn't see the bigger picture,
(05:15):
but psalms 40 and 2 reassures usby saying he also brought me
out of a horrible pit, out of ofthe mire of clay, and set my
feet upon a rock.
So God doesn't abandon us inour pits.
Instead, he can use those pitsas a time to build our character
and to strengthen our faith.
Now, after being pulled out ofthe pits, joseph was sold into
(05:38):
slavery to the Israelites andthen taken to Egypt.
Could you imagine the rollercoaster of emotions that one may
have felt?
Fear, anger, confusion.
Once again betrayal.
First his brothers, they throwhim into a pit and then they
sell him into slavery.
Now, moving forward into Egypt,joseph was purchased by a man
(06:01):
named Potiphar who was anofficer of the Pharaoh.
Genesis 39 and 2 tells us theLord was with Joseph and he was
a successful man, and he was inthe house of his master, the
Egyptian.
No matter where you may findyourself in life, it could be a
pit, it could be bondage.
Whatever the problem or seasonor situation may be, god has a
(06:22):
way of showing up and showingout in your life.
God's favor has no bounds.
His favor and his hand and hisblessings have no limits.
God has the power to make yousucceed in any season.
God has the power to make yousucceed in any situation, no
(06:44):
matter how dire, no matter whatthe naysayers may say, the
doubters may say, the haters maysay.
God is in control.
He has all power in his hand.
You just have to hold on toyour faith.
Now, joseph.
He worked hard and he earnedPotiphar's trust.
He was even promoted to overseePotiphar's house.
(07:06):
It seems like everywhere thatJoseph went and we want to see
this thing later on everywherehe went, god promoted him to a
place of authority, promoted himto the top.
But in this instant Joseph'srise was met with temptation.
Potiphar's wife attempted toseduce him and when he refused
her advances, she falselyaccused him.
(07:29):
When God is blessing you andwhen God is elevating you, when
God is promoting you, you mustalways be on guard against the
enemy.
You must always be on guardagainst sin and against
temptation.
But I love Joseph's response totemptation.
That's found in Genesis,chapter 39, verse 9.
He says no one is greater inthis house than I am.
(07:51):
My master has withheld nothingfrom me except you, because
you're his wife.
How then could I do such awicked thing and sin against God
?
And that's the same attitudethat we should have.
When temptation knocks on ourdoor, we should respond, not by
giving in, but we should respondby saying how can I do such a
(08:13):
wicked thing and sin against myGod?
He's been too good for me to dothat.
And let me say this about sinSin can be defined in one word,
and that disobedience.
Either we do what god tells usnot to do or we don't do what
god has told us to do.
And sin, no matter how good itmay look on the outside, it's
(08:34):
nothing to play with Sin willtake you further than you want
to go.
Sin will keep you longer thanyou want to be kept, and sin
will cost you more than what youwant to pay.
Sin is detrimental to us.
So.
So I encourage you, my brother,and I encourage you, my sister,
to resist temptation and fleefrom sin.
(08:54):
My friend, and this leads us toour second lesson Integrity in
the face of temptation iscrucial.
So I want to exhort you topursue purity.
I want to exhort you today towalk in holiness, and I also
want to exhort you to walk inobedience.
Joseph, he chose to honor Godand to honor his master.
(09:19):
Despite the consequences, inthe face of adversity, he
maintained his integrity.
The Bible tells us in Proverbs11, 3,.
The integrity of the uprightwill guide them, but the pervers
in prison, yet again faced withhardship and betrayal.
Now check this out.
(09:47):
In Genesis, chapter 39, verses21, 22 and 23, says but the Lord
was with Joseph and showed himsteadfast love and gave him
favor in the sight of the keeperof the prison, and the keeper
of the prison put Joseph incharge of all the prisoners.
Who was in the prison?
Whatever was done there, he wasthe one that did it.
(10:08):
The keeper of the prison paidno attention to anything that
was in Joseph's charge, becausethe Lord was with him, and
whatever he did, the Lord madeit to succeed.
Let me say that one more timethe Lord was with Joseph in his
bondage, in his dire situationin the prison.
The Lord was with him andwhatever Joseph did, the Lord
(10:31):
made it succeed.
Hand was with Joseph.
Even with the handcuffs, god'spresence was with Joseph.
We are reminded once again thatno matter where we find
ourselves in life, we are neveroutside of God's reach.
(10:52):
Joseph continued to serve othersand remain faithful to God.
He was faithful to God and Godwas faithful to him.
During his time in prison,joseph interpreted the dreams of
the Pharaoh's cupbearer as wellas the Pharaoh's baker,
utilizing the gift that God gavehim.
I want you to lean in righthere.
(11:13):
Please don't allow the pits oflife and don't allow the prisons
of life, and don't allow thetough seasons of life to keep
you from using the gifts thatGod has given you.
So, once again.
Joseph interpreted the dream ofthe cupbearer and told the
cupbearer to remember him.
But when the cupbearer wasrestored and he was released
from prison and he was restoredto his rightful position, he
(11:37):
forgot about Joseph for abouttwo years.
And here's a quick note herePeople may forget about you, but
God will never forget about you.
I love what it says in Psalmchapter 136.
He remembered us in our loweststate.
His love endures forever andfreed us from our enemies, for
(11:58):
his love endures forever.
I want to encourage you today.
I want to encourage you today.
I want to encourage you on thisevening.
I want to encourage you, atwhatever time you are listening,
that God has not forgottenabout you.
People may have, but God hasnot.
His word tells us inDeuteronomy 31 and 8,.
The Lord himself goes beforeyou and will be with you.
(12:19):
He will never leave you.
He will never forsake you.
So be encouraged, my friend.
God has not forgotten about youand god is with you.
And when god is with you,blessings going to be with you.
When god is with you, successis going to be with you.
When god is with you.
His protection and his favorand so much success is going to
(12:40):
be with you when God is with you, his protection and his favor,
and so much more is going to bewith you as well.
So keep hope alive and keepyour faith in a faithful God.
Now here's our third lesson.
God can use the prisons of ourlives, and God can use the pits
of our lives to prepare us forour purpose.
(13:01):
Joseph's time in prison was notwasted.
As a matter of fact, it was atime of preparation and it was a
time of growth, and God wasbehind the scenes working things
out on his behalf.
James, chapter 1, tells us mybrethren, count it all joy when
you fall into various trials,knowing that the testing of your
(13:23):
faith produces patience, butlet patience have its perfect
work that you may be perfect andcomplete, lacking nothing.
So, from the pit to prison andnow to the palace, as we see
God's sovereignty, we see God'spower, we see God's faithfulness
on display.
(13:43):
Joseph's time in prison came toan end when the Pharaoh had some
troubling dreams of his own andno one could interpret it.
The cupbearer was like oh, youknow what?
I finally remember Joseph, andhe recommended Joseph to Pharaoh
.
What if Joseph got bitter whilehe was in prison?
What if he refused to use hisgift.
(14:04):
He said you know what?
I'm not where I want to be, I'mnot with my family, I don't
have the promotion, I'm inprison right now.
I'm not going to use this giftand if he didn't, he wouldn't
have had that interaction withthe cupbearer and that wouldn't
have led to him beingrecommended to the Pharaoh.
Thus he would have never madeit out of prison.
So I want to encourage and giveyou a real quick lesson there
(14:27):
Keep walking in obedience, nomatter what season you may be in
.
You may not be where you wantto be or how far you want to be
right now in life, and that'sokay.
But keep walking in obedience,keep being faithful to God, keep
serving him and keep servingothers.
Keep answering God's callingyour life, no matter the season.
(14:47):
Use all the gifts that God hasgraciously blessed you with.
Now, joseph, he used this giftand he interpreted the dream of
the Pharaoh predicting sevenyears of abundance followed by
seven years of famine.
I read the book of Genesis backin January and I plan on
finishing the entire Bible thisyear, and I would encourage you
(15:09):
to try this.
If you haven't read the Biblefrom cover to cover, then I
highly recommend that you getthat done this year.
That could be a real great NewYear's resolution or a goal, or
whatever you want to call it.
But I would encourage you toread God's word systematically.
Get on the reading plan.
One year, 365 days, whatevertime you're listening.
(15:31):
You can start right now, startin Genesis and go all the way to
the end.
You can Google Bible readingplan or get on the Bible app and
find a reading plan to read theBible cover to cover.
You will not be disappointed.
Now back to the show.
Now, pharaoh was so impressedthat he appointed Joseph to be
second in command over all ofEgypt.
That's huge.
(15:53):
Joseph literally started fromthe bottom, but God hand of
redemption elevated him all theway to the top.
The life of Joseph reminds usthat God can elevate us and
bless us beyond ourcircumstances.
Let me say that one more time.
The life of Joseph reminds us,and it should encourage us, that
(16:16):
God can elevate us beyond ourcircumstances.
So, no matter how dire thesituation may be, how dire the
situation may be, god has thepower to turn things around.
God has the power to turnthings around.
As a matter of fact, the Bibletells us in Psalm 75, verses 6
(16:39):
and 7, for exaltation comesneither from the east or from
the west, or from the south, butGod is a judge.
He puts down one and he exaltsanother.
Now, joseph's rise was not apersonal victory.
It was actually a part of God'sgreater plan to save many lives
(17:01):
during this famine.
And now we arrive at the climaxof Joseph's story.
After the famine struckJoseph's brothers the one that
threw him in the pit, the onethat was hating on him.
They came to Egypt looking forfood.
And guess who was in charge inEgypt?
It was their dear old brother,joseph.
And of course, they werefearful, you know, upon
(17:23):
realizing that their brother,the one that they betrayed he,
was now their savior.
Oh, how the tables have turned.
But Joseph, he was in aposition where he could have got
revenge, but he choseforgiveness over revenge.
He chose to be better insteadof being bitter.
And listen to these words inGenesis, chapter 50, verse 21,
(17:45):
of my favorite verses of theBible but as for you, you meant
evil against me, but God meantit for good in order to bring
about it as it is this day, soto save many people alive.
God is so good that he can turnother people's attempt to hurt
(18:07):
you.
It can turn other people'sattempt to harm you into a way
to help you, into a way toelevate you, into a way to favor
you and to bring you into abetter position.
This verse captures the heartof Joseph's story.
It captures the faithfulnessand the sovereignty of our great
God.
I got to read this scripturefor you one more time Genesis,
(18:30):
chapter 50, verse 20.
But, as for you, you meant evilagainst me, but God meant it
for my good, in order to bringit about as it is this day, to
save many people alive.
Joseph acknowledges the evilintentions of his brothers, but
recognizes that God was workingthrough those intentions for a
(18:52):
greater good.
Look at God.
He made Joseph's dreams cometrue and his family did have to
bow down to him after all.
So how do we apply this powerfultruth from Joseph's life in our
own lives?
Good question, and I got toanswer, and I want to give you a
(19:14):
few key takeaways.
Number one I want you to trustGod in the pits.
When you find yourself in a pit, remember that God is right,
there with you.
He would never leave you, hewould never forsake you.
He sees your struggles and hasa plan to bring you out.
Trust God in your darkestmoments, because light is on the
(19:38):
way.
Psalms 34 18 reassures us saysthe Lord is near to those who
have a broken heart and savesuch to have a contrite spirit.
Trust God in the pits.
Secondly, I want to encourageyou to be faithful in the prison
and the times of waiting andthe times of uncertainty.
(20:01):
Continue to serve God andremain faithful.
God may be preparing you forsomething greater, just as he
did with Joseph.
You just got to trust him,trust his plan and trust his
timing.
Galatians 6, 9 encourages bysaying let us not grow weary
while doing good, for in dueseason we shall reap if we do
(20:26):
not lose heart.
Be faithful in the prison.
Thirdly, I want to encourage youto embrace God's elevation.
When God lifts you up from yourcircumstances, don't forget to
honor him.
Joseph was quick to say youmeant to fight evil, but I want
you guys to look at God and seewhat he did.
So use your position to serveothers and to fulfill God's
(20:50):
purposes.
First, peter 14 reminds us aseach one has received a gift,
minister it to one another asgood stewards of the manifold
grace of God.
So when God brings you out andlifts you up.
Be sure to give God all of hisglory, because he will share his
(21:11):
glory with no one.
And finally, I want to encourageyou to forgive and to move
forward.
There may be a hard pill toswallow, but that's the best
pill you can take right nowForgive and move forward.
Just as Joseph forgave hisbrothers, we too must let go of
(21:33):
the past and let go of thosepast hurts.
Holding on to bitterness isonly going to weigh us down.
So, as I said before, I saidagain don't be bitter, but
choose to be bitter, choose toforgive, understanding that God
can turn your pain into purpose.
(21:53):
Ephesians 4.32 says to be kindto one another, tender heart,
forgiving one another, even asGod in Christ forgave you.
So the life of Joseph, from thepit to the prison to the palace,
(22:13):
and Joseph's journey, is atestament of God's faithfulness.
It's a testament of God'ssovereignty and the testament of
God's redemptive power.
May we trust that, even whenothers mean evil against us, god
can turn those circumstancesaround for our good and also for
(22:36):
his glory.
So remember your struggles.
They are not in vain.
God is always working.
Whether you see it or not,whether you feel it or not, god
is always working and he has apurpose for you, my friend.
So here's my prayer for youRight now I pray that you would
trust god in your pits.
(22:57):
I pray that you would remainfaithful in your prisons, and I
pray that you would embrace theelevation that god provides for
you, and I pray that you willforgive and move forward.
In Jesus name, amen.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.