Faith as Currency in Our FinancesSample

Joseph’s dramatic rags-to-riches story begins in Genesis 37, but it doesn’t end there. Staggeringly, he goes back to rags… and then to riches… and there’s a lot to learn from the peaks and troughs of Joseph’s life about what it looks like to love and trust God consistently through every conceivable circumstance.

Joseph invokes jealousy in his ten older brothers by naively sharing with them his prophetic dream about how one day they’ll bow down to him. They throw him into a pit and decide to lie to their dad, saying Joseph was killed by wild animals. Joseph’s thoughts aren’t recorded for us, but no doubt the isolation of the dark pit was a serious low point. And no doubt, calling to mind the dream God had given him would have reassured him that this wasn’t the end of his story. If you find yourself in a lonely, seemingly hopeless situation, remember God’s promises to you. He delights in rescue miracles, and He will not leave you in the pit.

Sold to passing slave traders, Joseph finds himself alone in a foreign land. He works diligently in his new environment and is found to be reliable – so much so that his master, Potiphar, leaves everything he has in Joseph’s care (Genesis 39:6). Everything, that is, except his wife, who tries to seduce Joseph. He refuses her. His integrity is an indication of his faith in God, as our mental state can be fragile when we’re faced with testing situations. Jesus told us not to worry for a reason. When we’re stressed, we’re unable to believe that a brighter future is possible. If you’re experiencing a kind of “possibility shutdown” because of severe anxiety, ask God to refuel your faith.

Joseph’s life fluctuated between deep valleys and astonishing mountaintops, then back to even deeper valleys, but through all that testing he remained faithful to God, depending on Him in every circumstance and exhibiting remarkable resilience. Even when Joseph is imprisoned, God is with him, rewarding his faithfulness by granting him favour with the prison warden (Genesis 39:20–21). Eventually, God gives Joseph an interpretation of Pharoah’s dream, which leads to Joseph’s reinstatement in Pharoah’s household and ultimately the highest governmental office (Genesis 41:41–43). If you feel trapped in your current circumstances, think about what it might look like for you to be faithful in small things – right where you are – trusting God to release you to be faithful in bigger things.

At the end of Joseph’s story, we read, ‘The second son he named Ephraim and said, “It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering”’ (Genesis 41:52). May you be able to look back on the most difficult seasons of your life and trace the ways in which God strengthened your faith and made you ‘fruitful in the land of your suffering’.