Genesis 39:1-6a
Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh's officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishamaelites who had taken him there.
The LORD was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. From the time he put him in charge of his household and all that he owned, the LORD blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the LORD was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. So he left in Joseph's care everything he had; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.
Joseph's situation was not ideal. He had been assaulted by his brothers and then sold into slavery. Now, a thousand miles from home, he was put to work. It's easy to think that Joseph was bitter. He certainly had every right to be. You would think Joseph would be angry and resentful toward his master. It would even make sense that Joseph would be mad at God. After all, it was God who gave him those dreams and the ability to understand what they meant.
But the Bible tells us Joseph responded to his situation much differently than we might expect. Nowhere are we told that Joseph prayed to God demanding an explanation for his situation. Perhaps it's reasonable to think that on that long journey from Canaan to Egypt, Joseph had plenty of time to think through his situation. It seems like Joseph realized that he was just as responsible for his situation as his brothers were.
Whatever the case may have been, Joseph's response teaches us an important lesson: No matter what our situation, we are to glorify God by giving our very best everyday. Joseph had no reason to think that his faithful work would earn him a promotion. Joseph sumbitted to the authority that God had placed over him and he faithfully served Potiphar to the best of his ability. He was honoring God by honoring Potiphar.
Because of Jospeh's faithfulness, God blessed him and all of Potiphar's house. There are certainly blessings that come with faithfully honoring God in all we do, and obeying his commands; but God does not promise any particular blessings for our faithfulness. He does not promise to bless us like he blessed Joseph while he served in Potiphar's house. Joseph's motivation for honoring and obeying God was his love for God, his faith in God's promise of salvation. Our motivation must also be the same: A thank you to God for his gift of faith and forgiveness of sins for Jesus' sake.
Joseph didn't serve Potiphar diligently because he was trying to earn God's favor. He served Potiphar diligently because he already had God's favor. It was God's love for Joseph and Joseph's faith that empowered him to love God and love his neighbor- Potiphar.
This is the same for us. As God's children, we are called to love God and love our neighbor. This love is displayed in our lives through service. As a response to God's love for us, we diligently work everyday to serve our neighbor- in our family, at work, in the community, and in church. Wherever God gives us an opportunity to serve, that's where we serve each day.
We can serve in this way, every day, because Jesus has served us in the most important way: He lived the perfect life we can't live. He died the death we deserve. He rose from the dead to conquer death for us. "Becasue Jesus lives, we also will live."
God bless,
Jason Fredrick
