I love the story of Joseph.  He was the eleventh son of Jacob and was his father’s favorite. He was a son of Jacob’s old age and his mother was Rachel, Jacob’s true love. Because his father doted on him and even gave him a coat of many colors, his brothers despised him.

You can imagine that Joseph was probably pretty spoiled.  He even taunted his brothers with his dreams of them bowing down to him.  This didn’t help matters any.

If you know the story, his brothers threw him into a well and were plotting to kill him.  Instead, they sold Joseph into slavery to some nomads traveling to Egypt.  Joseph was in God’s favor and soon found himself in a place of high honor in Potiphar’s household for thirteen years until Potiphar’s wife lied about him.  Then Joseph was in prison for at least two years.  Why?  He had done nothing wrong.  He was being true to his God.  Why did God allow this to happen to him?

We see from man’s perspective, not God’s

Things are not always as they seem.  We see from man’s perspective and not God’s.  God had to take this spoiled child and grow him into an honorable man.  He had to teach Joseph the language and ways of the Egyptians.  He then made him the second in command under Pharaoh.  Now he could fulfill the purpose God had for him to save the nation and his people from starvation when the drought began.

Joseph tells his brothers in Genesis 50:20   “You intended it to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”

Let me say again, things aren’t always as they seem.  God sees the big picture.  We don’t We need to trust in Him and wait on His will to be done in our lives.