Gen 37:36 (NIV) Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard. Like you, Joseph had no idea why these things were happening to him. But, since his faith was in God, he knew Who was controlling his circumstances. If you feel like your life is out of control, it adds to the suffering that the difficulties with life are causing you. But, if you know your life is in God’s hands, it helps you understand that you are heading toward some awesome and blessed future circumstances. Joseph’s first miracle was, his brothers didn’t kill him. That might not have looked like a miracle; but, it was a supernatural miracle of God. God’s miracle in Joseph’s life was for his brothers to throw him into a pit that didn’t have any water in it. If he handled it correctly, he would have been praising God for the pit. BUT, it is hard to feel good about these types of miracles because they don’t look like miracles.

The Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt: God wanted Joseph to be in Egypt all during his next life-classes. So, Joseph was sold by the Midianites in Egypt. But, Joseph wanted to go home; he didn’t want to be in Egypt. This is what makes these life-classes so hard; they seem to be hurting you, confusing you, and mistreating you. But, you are being empowered and trained on how to handle your challenges with life. You aren’t just being healed FROM this issue; you are going to demolish it with principles that demostrate God’s power. Your journey through this struggle will end up being a life-story that you will gladly tell to many people. You will tell it with joy, excitement, appreciation, and confidence.

The Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials: God wanted Joseph to rule in Egypt as second in command to PHARAOH. So, Joseph was bought by Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials. As long as Joseph continued to cooperate with God and flow into his next assignment, he would come out of each life-class with great training. He wasn’t a slave in Potiphar’s house to learn how to be a slave; he was there to learn how to rule over Egypt. BUT, Joseph DID NOT know this! However, Joseph knew that God had a special plan for his life. This empowered him to put all he had into the assignment. Like Joseph, God has just as wonderful a plan for you. If you will accept this assignment and allow Jesus to teach you how to win over your challenges with life, your journey to victory and successes will be much more meaningful and powerful.

Gen 39:2-4 (NIV) The LORD was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. As far as Joseph was concerned, he would have rather been back home with his dad. He could have handled this life-class with resentment, rebellion, resistance, and inactivity. But, if he had, he wouldn’t have learned how to be ready for his next assignment (prison) and his main assignment (ruler). Just like things were extremely difficult for Joseph, the problem with life is extremely difficult for you. Like with Joseph, emotions of frustration, anger, loneliness, confusion, and depression are standing at the door of your heart. But, as he looked to God for direction, God gave him emotional power to push through it and succeed at his current assignment.

Gen 39:6-10 (NIV) So he left in Joseph’s care everything he had; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate. Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he refused. “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.

Your struggles with life create very difficult emotions; they need something to overcome them with faith, confidence, peace, happiness, pleasure, enjoyment, entertainment, and excitement. Satan has a lot of things that look like they might be the antidote to this issue. Joseph was a person with the same weaknesses, thoughts, feelings, temptations, and struggles as you. It is important that you not read into him some special quality that you don’t have. He was just a regular human that had turned his life over to the relationship and provisions of God. God was empowering him to be able to handle the pit, being sold into slavery, and being stuck in Potiphar’s house rather than being at home. 1 Cor 10:13 (NIV) No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

Gen 39:11-14 (NIV) One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house. When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house, she called her household servants. “Look,” she said to them, “this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us! He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed. Joseph could have thought that maybe having a sexual relationship with Potiphar’s wife might help relieve the pain of physical issues, frustration, anger, depression, loneliness, hopelessness, fear, and many other negative emotions that were trying to take over his life. What could help you get some peace and help with your problems with life? Is it sex, pornography, drugs, alcohol, video games, the internet, or some other kind of physical pleasure? Joseph chose God as his answer and was able to ward off all these temptations.

Gen 39:16-20a (NIV) She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home. Then she told him this story: “That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me. But as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.” When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, “This is how your slave treated me,” he burned with anger. Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined. God needed to get Joseph into a place where He could put him in contact with Pharoah; but, Joseph didn’t know what God was up to. However, Joseph was yielding his heart to the faithfulness of God. Even though he was unaware of why these things were happening to him, he knew that God was in control of all his circumstances. He knew that God was working EVERYTHING out for his good. And through that knowledge, he didn’t yield to temptation, anger, fear, doubt, depression, hopelessness, loneliness, or despair.