Prosper and Success

 Gen 39:23
The keeper of the prison looked not at anything that was under his hand; because the Lord was with him, and that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper.

To prosper or have good success is a subjective word in our language and culture. We would say that a person who has obtained a good paying job, saved money for his/her retirement and was able to provide for their family has had prosperity and success for life. One would not think that ending up in prison for something they did not do would be prosperous. Joseph was such a man. He was mistreated by his brothers, falsely accused, and thrown into prison for what appeared to be for a very long time. Yet, the Bible says that the Lord made him prosper. 
This is where the world view and the Christian view are viewed from different perspectives. Joseph lived a life of surrender to his God. He no doubt had his time of discouragements, and questioned his circumstances, but his life was not his own, it belonged to God. Even in the dark times of our lives, we can trust God that all things will work together toward a prosperous and successful journey. Knowing that we are in the will of God on our pilgrim journey, we can be confident that He is in control and will use our circumstances for the good. 
In the case of Joseph’s journey, God turned evil into good, and Joseph’s attitude and spirit demonstrated the fruit of righteousness and holiness. He did not become bitter or resentful, he trusted God to make him prosper and have the success that was planned for his life. 
It is good to have goals and aspirations, but all is for nothing and of no success if we are not following the will of God for our lives.

Evil Turned to Good

 Gen. 50:20
“..You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good..”

Turning something bad into good. That is what God is able to do. We look at circumstances in our lives and will often ask, why? What good will come from this? A life surrendered to God does not have to ever say, “If only.” The things that happen in our lives are for a purpose, and we just have to wait to see what God is going to do. Even if we miss the mark, and fail to do what is right, God can take our failures and do something good. This is not a reason not to walk and live carefully before God, but a reminder that God will not leave us hanging. The laws of sowing and reaping are not discarded, sin has its consequences, but we serve a merciful God who will show Himself to be full of grace. But, we can live like Joseph, and believe that God has a reason for the things that happen in our lives. At the moment, we probably will not see it. Joseph, sitting in the prison cell, no doubt, had his days when he wondered why his life was going to waste. His life was a sample of righteous living. He was a victim of other people's bad decisions. We don’t see God’s main plan. God is in control of the endgame. He makes the last move and knows how the story will end. We are clay in the master’s hand. He is shaping and molding us into the vessel that can be used for His glory. God used Joseph to save his family and the nation. God took the evil deeds of his brothers and turned them into a blessing for good. When bad things happen to God’s people, let us trust God to use them for good. 

My Afflictions

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Genesis 41:52 …For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction

Something good coming out of something bad. The silver lining in the cloud. Even in our darkest times God is the silver line that controls the happening in our lives. For God is good, and all things, even afflictions, work for good and for a purpose we may never understand in this life. It is often in our affliction that we acknowledge our need for God. It causes us to lean more on Him, for He is our strength and refuge in time of affliction. We don’t seek for bad things to happen, they just happen and often when we don’t expect it. Each day is a gift from God, and we commit our day into His hands. The affliction we face that day may turn our world upside down, and like Joseph put us in hole in the ground, and sold as a slave. But it is times like these that allow the fruit of Spirit to grow in our lives. We find purpose in God’s providence. We don’t necessarily find understanding, but in our afflictions God is working to fulfill His purpose in our lives.