Stuck on Joseph

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I’m stuck on Joseph right now. I keep trying to envision myself in his shoes, and I keep coming to the dismal conclusion that I would more than likely fail miserably to bring any glory to God if I were in his situation. As if being sold into slavery by your own brothers was not enough, he was imprisoned for two years after his master’s wife accused him falsely. I’m thinking that at this point, I would be asking God if things could possibly get any worse than they already were. The cool part is that Joseph saw the kindness of the Lord to him in whatever situation he found himself, whereas I often struggle to get to the point where I can see God’s kindness toward me in far less trying situations.
A great example of Joseph’s optimistic outlook (totally devoid of any Pollyannaishness) is found in Genesis 40:5-7. Important new prisoners arrive in the king’s jail, and they are really bummed, as would be expected. When Joseph sees them, the first thing he says is, “Why are your faces so sad today?” (NASB). He sees past his own slavery and false imprisonment to offer encouragement of two people in need. To add insult to injury, after Joseph encourages them and offers a favorable interpretation of a dream to the other, the one that lives forgets about him totally for two years. The cupbearer finally remembers him after Pharaoh has a dream that needs interpreting. Joseph willingly speaks God’s truth and takes no credit for himself. (At this point, I’m thinking I’d be doing handstands and cartwheels to get someone to notice me and get me out of jail. . .) Joseph’s patient trust in God finally seems to pan out when he is elevated to a ruler of Egypt second only to Pharaoh. God’s plan all along has been to place Joseph in a place to offer sustenance to keep his own family alive (numbering more than seventy at that point) in a time of famine. Joseph sums it up very well when he says, “God sent me before you to preserve life” (Gen. 45:5). What they meant for evil, God intended for good from the get go. The problem is that our vision is so finite that we cannot see past the pain of the present to see the promise of the future. The detailed narrative of Joseph’s life chastens me and offers me hope at the same time. That’s why I’m stuck on Joseph right now.

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