Today’s reading: Genesis 50:22-26
The final verses of Genesis give us a record of Joseph’s death at 110 years of age. As I read through these final few verses again today, I found myself reflecting on the life of Joseph. I thought about what lessons I learned from his example and contemplated what I need to put in place in my life to be a bit more like this incredible, God-serving man. Two lessons stood out prominently to me this morning.
Lesson 1: Like his father (Jacob/Israel), Joseph’s final thoughts and words recognized and proclaimed God as a sovereign, faithful, and caring God. Although Joseph ended up basically running all of Egypt under Pharaoh, his journey getting to this point was filled with hardship. Some of the words that come to mind as I ponder what he endured at the hands of others include trauma, sorrow, grief, betrayal, loss, isolation, and abandonment. Those are all pretty awful words. And yet through it all Joseph never took his eyes off of God. He knew that God was with him, and he made the choice to trust God wholeheartedly in and through whatever he encountered. So for me, the biggest message from Joseph’s life story is the importance of choosing, each and every day, to turn to God and trust Him with my life—all of it, all the time!
Lesson 2: The second message was Joseph’s eternity-focused mindset. Rather than allow his circumstances to consume his thoughts and control him (which is so easy to do), Joseph chose to focus on God and eternity, which served to give him a proper perspective and keep what was important—following after and serving God—his first priority. The consistent example we see is Joseph working as if he was working for God (Colossians 3:23). It was a good reminder for me of the significance of starting each day with God to make sure I get my mind focused on eternal versus earthly matters (the proper perspective).
How did God use Joseph’s life story to show you lessons or messages? Take a little time today to think back over Joseph’s journey. What stood out to you most from his life example, and why? Tami
Source: Tami’s Blog
