UNCOMMEN: A to B, What's Your PathНамуна

Long Way Through The Valley

Going from A to B. It is a pretty common saying. Wanting to find the quickest and easiest way to get from where you are to where you want to be is something that we have all felt. Whether it is a location-based change (i.e., wanting to go to France), a physical one (i.e., losing weight), or even if it is a knowledge-based growth, we have all wanted to get from A to B. But most of the time, the fastest route is not the one we are meant to take. Each of us has taken different paths in life to get to where we are. What worked for you may not work for me, and vice versa. In this series, we will be covering the different paths that some significant people took in the Bible. 

Let's start with Joseph. We can find the beginning of Joseph's story in Genesis 37. We see that Joseph is loved by his father more than his brothers, and this creates hatred in their hearts towards Joseph. This hatred festers and pushes them to do something that no family member would or should think about doing. They sold him into slavery. From there, Joseph was taken into Egypt where Potiphar, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites. Already being a slave was a terrible event, but even when he was serving Potiphar, he experienced more hardship. Potiphar's wife framed Joseph after he refused to lay with her. This refusal ended with Joseph being thrown in jail. 

From being loved by his father to being sold into slavery and then thrown in jail, Joseph was probably asking questions. "Why me? What did I do to deserve this? Is this the path I am supposed to take?" Luckily the story doesn't end here. Even in prison, God used Joseph. Years passed, and eventually, Joseph was called out of prison by the Pharaoh to interpret his dreams. Joseph was able to read Pharaoh's dreams about the upcoming famine. Because of this, Joseph was able to prepare a system that would help the people not go hungry during the years of famine. Remember, Joseph's brothers? Well, they were in the area that was affected by the famine. They traveled to Egypt to receive food. Now Joseph was able to help them. He would never have been able to assist his family if he had not been on this path. So remember not to be discouraged if the road you are on has some valleys. Sometimes those valleys are necessary to get you where you need to be.

 Uncommen Questions: 

Is there a point in your path, either past or present, that made you doubt God's plan?

What did you do to overcome the valleys in your path?

Uncommen Challenge:

In your Bible readings, find a verse to hold onto in those dark moments of the valleys.

Scripture Reference:
Genesis 37