Never giving him another thought.
How sad but how typical for the life Joseph knew of so far. The small picture
must have been maddeningly frustrating. The cupbearer would cost Joseph another
two years in prison before he remembered him to Pharaoh. We are not told much
about those two years but we can safely assume that Joseph was not ready yet.
God needed him to see beyond the "big picture." He needed him to see the God
Picture if the nation of
Joseph saw the God Picture in his life. He was no plaster saint beloved. You know there were days he doubted what it was all for. You know there were nights he spent screaming at the sky for his lot in life. Seeing red when thinking about his brothers, or Potiphar and his wife, or the cupbearer. Yet how do we know he finally grasped the God Picture behind it all? Because despite all the wrong committed against him, Joseph never sought retribution on anyone, even though he had the power to do so! Never another word to Potiphar and his wife. Not a harsh word for the cupbearer. His brothers, who would be haunted by their decision to sell Joseph into slavery never saw the God Picture even when Joseph tried to explain it to them:
But Joseph replied, "Don't be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you? You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. No, don't be afraid. I will continue to take care of you and your children." So he reassured them by speaking kindly to them. Genesis 50: 19-21 (NLT)
THAT is the God Picture. To be able to put aside the personal hurts and affronts made upon yourself to see how God used it for His glory and His purpose! No matter how far down in the valley this devotional finds you today, think of Joseph. Seek the bigger picture behind the trial. And beyond that will lie the God Picture. God does not save us and then discard us! He is constantly working His big picture and His purpose out through us. The reason we get so caught up in the wilderness sometimes is that we keep focusing on those pesky trees in front of us. Maybe it is a real hurt in our lives. Maybe it is the crossroads in our life. Maybe we were as wronged as Joseph was and we are sitting there staring at the trees in front of us and they seem larger than life. They are overshadowing and overpowering in stature. They can become oppressive in sight and foreboding in appearance the longer we focus on them. If we are to get past them, we must start by looking past them. God is so much bigger than whatever tree it is you find yourself staring at. He is bigger than your marriage. He is bigger than your children. He is bigger than your career. He is bigger period. His plan is bigger period. His picture is bigger we need to be seeking it.
Our key verse today relates to this teaching. It is the jumping off point for finding the God Picture. Within this one verse are several truths to help us focus on what God is doing. First of all, we must approach this, as all of the things of God with confidence. "Being confident of this" is not just a trite saying:
God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through? Numbers 23: 19 (NLT)
We do not approach the things of God with skepticism. The world is filled with empty and broken promises but God's promises are always yes and amen! His Word assures us that He has a plan for our future. No matter how dark the prison may seem He has a plan for your future. No matter how long the drought may seem He has a plan for your future. He has a God Picture and you are in it!
Secondly, the key verse reminds us
that God already started a good work in you! We can tend to forget all God has
done when we are facing our trees. Remember when David first walked onto the
scene? The nine foot giant Goliath was terrorizing the fighting men of
