Living the Dream: A Devotional for Students Through the Life of JosephSýnishorn

Day 7 - Good is from God

Let’s recap. Joseph was loved more than his brothers by his father so his brothers sold him into slavery and convinced their dad that he was dead. That leads us to Genesis 39 where Joseph is now in Egypt and has been purchased by one of Pharaoh’s top officials, Potiphar. But good news! We read that..

“The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered.”

Today as we read through Genesis 39:1-6, we will see how many times the Lord did something good for Joseph or Potiphar.

• The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered (vs.2).
• The Lord gave him success in everything he did. (vs. 3).
• The Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph (vs. 5).
• The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had (vs. 5).

Everything good that happened in this story was solely from God. God is the most faithful part of this story. Joseph was sold as a slave to Potiphar. But because of God, he succeeded in everything he did. There was nothing Joseph did that led Potiphar to put him in charge of his household. It was all God’s blessings and favor that led to Joseph’s life-changing.

It’s tempting as Christ followers to think that our own actions are what cause good things to happen to us. Of course, we know that good choices can lead to positive outcomes. But we often so easily forget to give credit to God for allowing us to have the opportunity in the first place. We are saved by grace through faith so that no one can boast. Our works do not save us -God does. Just like Joseph’s works did not save him, we are reminded that God is the one who saves. He gifts us with His goodness even when we don't deserve it!

Reflect:

Create a list of your own life events where God was present. Start each line with “The Lord blessed (your name) by…”

Thank God for the list you created above and for His presence in your life.