When God rescued the Israelites from the hand of Pharaoh and the Egyptians in Exodus, He lead them into the wilderness. The amount of time they spent in the wilderness was their own fault. But He lead them there and he took care of them, feeding them from heaven, providing water when necessary, making sure their sandals did not wear out, etc.
Now, let's switch to Joseph's life. What if his slavery was his wilderness? What if God was training Joseph for something bigger? What if God needed a specific set of circumstances to make the greatest impact, not only on one man's life but an entire nation and region? What if Joseph understood that (not that he knew the end at the beginning...but that he was being launched)? What if there's no record of a complaint from Joseph because he understood that his circumstances were part of a greater plan? What if he knew that if he was faithful in the little he was given (though he was actually given quite a bit since he was as slave), God would multiply?
If Joseph had friends, I wonder what they were saying to him. I have been learning a lot about capacity recently. "Capacity" is defined as the actual or potential ability to perform, yield, or withstand; or the power of receiving impressions, knowledge, etc; mental ability (Dictionary.com). People have capacity. Some people have smaller capacity than others. While this is not about comparison, it is about understanding where people actually are in their journey of growth and maturity. The idea of capacity is why we need boundaries or specifically established lines were one person's responsibility ends and another's begins. So, Joseph's friends would have had to have a large capacity in order to support him all these years. The pessimist side of me says he did not have any friends because, like Job's friends, our friends may not actually understand what God is doing in our lives. Some friends might get parts but most look at circumstances without spiritual eyes.
I submit, in order to go through the wilderness quickly and with maturity, you better surround yourself with people who wear spiritual goggles and will intentionally pour into your spirit, as opposed to suck your spirit dry! I believe that Joseph had people around him who did not live according to the flesh, but by the Spirit! That takes pure intentionality: to discover who God actually is, to define who He made you to be, to live with character no matter what is happening around you, to be faithful in the monotonous...to intentionally respond...intentionally believe God's Word is TRUTH...and, to intentionally stand firm on that TRUTH!
Psalm 3 (AMP):
1 Lord, how they are increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me.
2 Many are saying of me, There is no help for him in God. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!
3 But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.
4 With my voice I cry to the Lord, and He hears and answers me out of His holy hill. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!
5 I lay down and slept; I wakened again, for the Lord sustains me.
6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me round about.
7 Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God! For You have struck all my enemies on the cheek; You have broken the teeth of the ungodly.
8 Salvation belongs to the Lord; May Your blessing be upon Your people. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!
Deuteronomy 1 (AMP):
29 Then I said to you, Dread not, neither be afraid of them.
30 The Lord your God Who goes before you, He will fight for you just as He did for you in Egypt before your eyes,
31 And
in the wilderness, where you have seen how the Lord your God bore you,
as a man carries his son, in all the way that you went until you came to
this place.
32 Yet in spite of this word you did not believe (trust, rely on, and remain steadfast to) the Lord your God,
33 Who
went in the way before you to search out a place to pitch your tents,
in fire by night, to show you by what way you should go, and in the
cloud by day.
Exodus 14 (NIV):
13 Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
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