Genesis 39: Are You Potiphar or Are You Joseph?

Welcome to chapter by chapter. It's a four year journey through the greatest book given to the human race, the Word of God, the Bible. And we get to go through it chapter by chapter, seven minutes a day, seven days a week. Join us each day and share it with others so they can join this journey that will be life changing. We will stop at unexpected places on the journey and be challenged. Some verses will create awe and wonder, we'll have chapters that will be instructive and in others will find joy and comfort. We will occasionally be convicted and need to change, but all in all, the journey will be worth it. Once in a while we may take a detour on the journey and hear from some of God's servants on their favorite passages from a chapter of scripture and let them give you their insight. Every journey needs a small detour occasionally. The best way to get the most from this podcast is read the chapter we're discussing before or after. It's his word that transforms. You'll find more and see more than I can ever articulate. Welcome to chapter by chapter and today's chapter is Genesis 39. Are you Potterford or are you Joseph? My father used to use a phrase with me often and say Tim, you need a bloom where you're planted. What he meant was that wherever God puts you, then God will use you and God will make that place better because of you. That's Genesis 39. Joseph bloomed big time in bad places. He bloomed as a slave and as a conflict. Those are two titles one would not attach to the name Joseph, but it's true. He bloomed in chains and he bloomed in the penitentiary. Joseph comes to Egypt as merchandise and is sold as a servant to a man named Potterford. He is the captain of the bodyguards of Pharaoh. I don't think Potterford knew who the slave he bought that day was. His whole life would be changed by having Joseph in his house for the man he thought was chattel was actually God's man with God's blessing on his life. Listen to Genesis 39, 2 through 5. The Lord was with Joseph so he became a successful man and he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian. Now his master saw that the Lord was with him and how the Lord caused all that he did to prosper in his hand. So Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal servant and he made him overseer over his house and all that he owned he put in his charge. And it came about that from that time he made him overseer in his house and over all that he owned. The Lord blessed the Egyptians house on account of Joseph. Thus the Lord's blessing was upon all that he owned in the house and in the field. When God is with you you will bloom where you are planted. But could the opposite be true that Joseph's presence blessed Potterford's home having blessed people in your home brings God's blessing but once again could the opposite be true. When you bring disobedient people in your home or into your life should we get ready for chaos and trouble? Is that true? I'll answer with one man's name and one man's story disobedient Jonah on a ship to Tarshish. I rest my case. The Lord blessed everything in the Egyptian's house because of Joseph and the Lord caused a storm for the boat that Jonah was on. This is an important principle to keep in mind. When you leave a church or a home that you've experienced the blessing of God good question to ask yourself is was I Joseph or was I Potterford? Was I the one that brought the blessing or was I just living under a blessing? I watched many people leave a blessed ministry to start their own ministry and it failed. They thought they left as Joseph when in fact they were Potterford. I have this sneaky suspicion that when Joseph was put in jail after the false accusation of rape that a noticeable decline of blessing came upon Potterford's house. Here's a question upon there. Can a Potterford turn into Joseph? Can someone take an honest assessment of their life and say I'm blessed because of someone else's relationship with God but I want to be a blessing and not just blessed. If that's the case the first order of business is a walk with God and an obedient life. This was no coincidence for Joseph. His life blessed lives. The same thing happened in prison in Joseph and the jailer. Listen to it in verses 21 through 23 but the Lord was with Joseph and extended kindness to him and gave him favor in this side of the chief jailer. The chief jailer committed to Joseph's charge all the prisoners who were in the jail so that whenever was done there he was responsible for it. The chief jailer did not supervise anything under Joseph's charge because the Lord was with him and whenever he did the Lord made it to prosper. Did Potterford see the blessing move off his home into the penitentiary? Did Potterford realize God is with this young man? I wonder if Potterford really knew his wife was lying and he had to save his marriage at the expense of his own house's blessing. Look at the blessing of God that follows a person's life. It shows up in peace, prosperity, wisdom and spiritual growth. Your children do better. Your marriage does better. I know Joseph's and I want to be with them all the time. My life is always better just spending time with them over lunch or on a phone. Do you know any Joseph's? Contact them today. Schedule something with them today. Do you want to be a Joseph? Schedule time with God today and start taking inventory of your life and recommit every area to him. There was an old academy award-winning movie called As Good As It Gets. Jack Nicholson was a man who was mentally tormented and took a lot of medication to fix his hangups. Over dinner one night he was with Helen Hunt and Nicholson gave a Potterford line to his Joseph date over a crab dinner. He said these words, "You make me want to be a better man." That's it. That's what Joseph's do. Find Joseph, bring them into your life, marry them, work with them, go to their church, ask them to lunch for wisdom, and if you see chaos in their life, stay back until they become a Joseph. They will make you want to become a better person. Thank you for joining chapter by chapter. Every chapter from the greatest book of the Bible, the Word of God, seven minutes a day, seven days a week. We'll see you tomorrow.