Recently I have been reading through Genesis and its been really great. Today I read about Potiphar's wife and Joesph. I read about how she noticed how handsome he was and how God blessed him in everything he did. She was attracted, rightly so, however she reacted to it in a not so good way. She repeatedly tried to get Joesph to sleep with her. He resisted multiple times until she stooped to physical persuasion. Joesph again resisted, however in his attempt to escape her literal grasp he was set free with a clean conscious, while leaving his robe in the struggle. This gave potiphar's cunning wife an opportunity to scream rape and "punish" a Godly man of an un-Godly act which had not been committed. The proof was the robe. Joesph was sent to prison to await his trial for 2 years. Can you image what must have been going through his head?
I would be thinking: "Lord, why me!" "My brothers sold me into slavery and now you have left me as well." "No longer will I follow God because look at where it has lead me!" "I resisted temptation, tried to do my best in every task Potiphar gave me....I even gave you all the glory for my success and this is how you repay me thankless God?!"
Just to name a few thoughts...I'm sure you can imagine a time in your life where you have doubted God's leading in your life...been so unsure of your circumstances that you could swear He has left you all together. I know I can.
Today as i read this passage i began to reflect on the past few years of my life. When i got married two years ago God provided a great job at a Sunglass store where i was the assistant manager. I enjoyed the job and did a fairly good job to the point I was promoted to Store Manager. God was good in blessing me and bring such great providence to Bryan and I's situation. Sometime later i began to view this job as a means to an end. I anxiously awaited my pending graduation when I would get a "real job". Well, the time came and I got a "real job"....and it turned out to be a "real" flop. Not to say God wasn't leading me there, because He was. I believe He ordains all things, knows all things and we cannot escape that predestined will. However, I do believe in my pride i overlooked His providence and desired something that in my mind was "better".
God forgave my ignorance and brought me back to the same Sunglass store i was at previously. Sometime passed and Bryan and I followed God's call to seminary here in Louisville. Again i am faced with the pending decision of a career. My immediate thought: "Get a real job; something to do with my degree." I prayed about what avenue to take and where to start when God threw into my lap yet another Sunglass Store opportunity. When i left my previous store, before we moved to Louisville I prepared to go in the opposite direction of Sunglasses for various reasons. However, here was God again with the same providence through managing a different Sunglass store. What was i to do?
My circumstances were exactly the opposite place i hoped to find myself. However, God had a greater plan. Much like Joesph when he found himself in jail, he must have thought "Lord i resisted and did everything to not find myself here!" How confused Joesph must have been. He could have turned and said "NO GOD, no more!" However, Joesph brought God glory despite his confusing circumstances. I think when we are confused about why God is bringing us to certain circumstances we must look to the past and see how faithful God has been and trust He will again bring all things for the good of those who believe. Even if its not our idea of "good", we are called to trust.
Having said all of that....I am trusting God in His provision in bringing me back to Sunglasses. I am incredibly thankful and extremely excited to see what the Lord will do. I am pretty sure it will have nothing to do with interpreting dreams, but all in the same I will do my best to honor God with all He chooses to bless me with.
I would be thinking: "Lord, why me!" "My brothers sold me into slavery and now you have left me as well." "No longer will I follow God because look at where it has lead me!" "I resisted temptation, tried to do my best in every task Potiphar gave me....I even gave you all the glory for my success and this is how you repay me thankless God?!"
Just to name a few thoughts...I'm sure you can imagine a time in your life where you have doubted God's leading in your life...been so unsure of your circumstances that you could swear He has left you all together. I know I can.
Today as i read this passage i began to reflect on the past few years of my life. When i got married two years ago God provided a great job at a Sunglass store where i was the assistant manager. I enjoyed the job and did a fairly good job to the point I was promoted to Store Manager. God was good in blessing me and bring such great providence to Bryan and I's situation. Sometime later i began to view this job as a means to an end. I anxiously awaited my pending graduation when I would get a "real job". Well, the time came and I got a "real job"....and it turned out to be a "real" flop. Not to say God wasn't leading me there, because He was. I believe He ordains all things, knows all things and we cannot escape that predestined will. However, I do believe in my pride i overlooked His providence and desired something that in my mind was "better".
God forgave my ignorance and brought me back to the same Sunglass store i was at previously. Sometime passed and Bryan and I followed God's call to seminary here in Louisville. Again i am faced with the pending decision of a career. My immediate thought: "Get a real job; something to do with my degree." I prayed about what avenue to take and where to start when God threw into my lap yet another Sunglass Store opportunity. When i left my previous store, before we moved to Louisville I prepared to go in the opposite direction of Sunglasses for various reasons. However, here was God again with the same providence through managing a different Sunglass store. What was i to do?
My circumstances were exactly the opposite place i hoped to find myself. However, God had a greater plan. Much like Joesph when he found himself in jail, he must have thought "Lord i resisted and did everything to not find myself here!" How confused Joesph must have been. He could have turned and said "NO GOD, no more!" However, Joesph brought God glory despite his confusing circumstances. I think when we are confused about why God is bringing us to certain circumstances we must look to the past and see how faithful God has been and trust He will again bring all things for the good of those who believe. Even if its not our idea of "good", we are called to trust.
Having said all of that....I am trusting God in His provision in bringing me back to Sunglasses. I am incredibly thankful and extremely excited to see what the Lord will do. I am pretty sure it will have nothing to do with interpreting dreams, but all in the same I will do my best to honor God with all He chooses to bless me with.
