TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL PASSAGE

DEVOTIONAL

by Irene Tanhuanco

Most of us are probably familiar with the story of Joseph, the dreamer. We have read how his life and career have gone through all sorts of drastic ups and downs: he’s gone from being the favored son to a slave, to an imprisoned criminal, and finally, Egypt’s prime minister. However, throughout the various positions, he’s held in his longwinded and rather unconventional career, we notice one thing has remained consistent—he has always been the favorite.

Did Joseph exude a special charisma that instantly charmed those around him, or was something—or someone—else at work? Let’s break it down.

Being a slave in an elite Egyptian household or a prison warden’s trusted inmate could not have been on Joseph’s list of dream jobs. In fact, his dreams even involved having his brothers bow down to him. It was as though life was telling him to “dream on, kid.” Nevertheless, Joseph gave maximum effort at each of his jobs—efforts that weren’t left unnoticed.

God, who was with Joseph the whole time, rewarded his efforts by granting him favor in the eyes of his masters (vv. 3, 21). Having proven himself to be trustworthy, he was entrusted with more responsibilities that eventually served as a preparation for his powerful position as Egypt’s second most powerful man (Gen. 41).

Joseph could have grumbled and complained through all those “jobs” he neither signed up for nor deserved. Yet, he chose to work with integrity and shun temptation because God was with him.

Notice the cycle: Joseph gave his best, knowing God was with him. God then caused Joseph to succeed in everything he did and earn his superiors’ favor. The importance of these four words, “God was with him,” could not be stressed enough as it was repeated four times in this chapter (vv. 2, 3, 21, 23).

Our human strength and willpower will not be enough to sustain our desire to give and be our best at everything consistently, but we remember that God is with us and will enable us. Even if this does not guarantee an immediate proportional reward for our efforts, it’s such a comfort to know that the all-knowing, sovereign God of the universe has seen each drop of our blood, sweat, and tears. He’s holding our hand through every struggle, every victory, and every defeat. As sure as He is with us, He will bless us and use us to bless others (Genesis 39:5). According to Charles Stanley, “If you are giving your best at work and are trusting God to give you wisdom in all your endeavors, then watch for the ways in which the Lord will cause others to bless you.”

REFLECTION

Most of the time, it’s tempting just to exert the minimum “pwede na yan” effort to get the job done. We might even argue, “I’m not being paid enough for this.” However, God did not ask us to work according to our pay grade. He asked us to “work with all our hearts, as working for the Lord, and not for human masters” (Col. 3:23). Why? Because He is with us and in us.

PRAYER

Lord, You are with me, and that is a comforting message. We’re not perfect; we can’t always do everything perfectly, but trusting in the plan of a sovereign God, gives us the strength to move forward. Help us to give our best for Your Kingdom, and may You be glorified every step of the way, in Jesus’ name, amen.

Source: Stanley, C.F. (2011). Life Principles Daily Bible. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.