Wait On The Lord

These weekly devotionals I will be posting come from and are copyright to Pam Iannello, my pastor's late wife who went home to be with the Lord on June 18, 2008.


Learning how to face our family problems through an in-depth study of the troubled home of Joseph.




This devotion is part of the "Family Problems" series.


When we last came together over Genesis chapter 37 in our study of Joseph's life, we saw that Joseph was searching diligently for his envious, hateful brothers at his father's command. Certainly Joseph did not know how long of a trip he was about to embark upon or where he would actually end up as a result of acting upon this set of orders! Have you ever obeyed God only to find that the circumstances you encountered didn't make a bit of sense?? Have you ever followed God's plan for working family problems out only to witness the situation get worse - even while your actions and attitudes were right?? Have you ever had two or more family members join together against you for an evil purpose simply because you were secure in doing right? Ladies, when conditions like these arise in your life, you may be tempted to give up or give in, perhaps even engage in the same type of combat against your enemies, but one thing we must never forget: God has all hearts in His hands at all times! That's what we learn today as we continue our reading in verses 18-24 of Genesis chapter 37....

And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him. And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh. Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams. And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him. And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again. And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him; And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.

Of all the brothers, Reuben had most reason to be envious of Joseph, for he was the first-born son of Jacob; yet he strives to protect the one who receives more honor than he. In any case, Reuben attempted to spare Joseph's life, although he employed wrong methods to do so. Have you ever tried that, dear lady? You see, Reuben came up with an alternative plan that would both satisfy his brother's fleshly desires and spare Joseph's life at the same time. By creating a temporary, false sense of harmony, Reuben intended to go back later and patch things up on his own and rescue Joseph from the pit. However, in choosing the role of mediator or intercessor in family problems, the true servant of the Lord must understand that he cannot be double minded if he would see clearly the solution! All persons involved in the problem may not have their way - it is God's way that must reign supreme!

Luke 16:13
No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Reuben should have boldly stood up and stopped their wicked plan immediately, amen? He should have had the courage to tell his brothers that they were wrong for their attitudes and actions toward Joseph. Are you able to stand up to ungodliness in your family, dear lady? Instead of applying God's method of repair to their heart's decay, Reuben forms his own plan for straightening things out. In just a bit you'll see that Reuben's plan backfired - as man's plan always does… Whenever godly methods are forsaken, the wrong results come about. Even so, because of His plan for Joseph's life, God overruled the hateful hearts of his brothers and Joseph was protected instead of eliminated.

I can't help but wonder what Joseph was thinking once he was stripped of his luxurious robe and cast into the empty pit by those he loved. In simply choosing to do the right thing, he had found himself in a treacherous situation! What would you do if thrown into that pit and left there, stripped of all the human comforts you had ever known? Would you sulk in silence amid the hollow sounds of darkness and feel sorry for yourself? Would you try somehow to climb out of the pit in your own strength? Certainly one's first reaction would be to yell out, "Help!" At this point, Joseph's life had literally become a type of hell, - a deep pit and without water - the very place where our loving Savior Jesus Christ ended up for sinners such as you and I! Ladies, it's troublesome times like these that create an even deeper thirst for God, amen? But the question is, how long do you wait before you cry out for help? Will you turn to the Lord or give in to your circumstances…

Psalm 63:1
O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;

Psalm 143:6
I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah.

Certainly Joseph had no way of knowing for sure what the outcome of his situation would be, did he? He did not know that Reuben had determined to return for him later and rescue him. He did not know what awaited him at all - the only thing Joseph could do was to trust in the Lord! His brothers may have stripped him of his coat of many colors, the picture of the love and security he enjoyed in his relationship with his father, but certainly they couldn't steal his confidence in the fact that his loving father would search for him. Ladies, even though others might conspire against us and try to strip us of our security in the Lord, such assurance cannot be easily shaken or taken away, amen? If he can't destroy us with worldly things, the devil often tries to make use of family problems to cause us to feel that our heavenly Father has abandoned us, and to provoke within us feelings of despair. Nevertheless, we must not be persuaded to walk by sight! Don't give in to Satan's deception! Don't be so quick to dispose of your confidence in God! As Christians, we must not focus on the outward condition of things but on the inward condition of things - the power of God that resides within us to overcome evil with good and be victorious…

1 John 4:4
Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

Hebrews 10:35
Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward.

By our distressing circumstances the Lord would develop in His children the ability to persevere even when the going gets tough. We must understand that life on this earth is not always going to be free of problems; there will be pits we'll each end up in at one time or another. But ladies, our life doesn't have to end there - it can become the place of a new beginning! So many people today - even God's people, hold the opinion that "Life is just the pits", but it is our personal choice to remain in such a negative frame of mind. There is a way out… God wants to establish ALL our goings - not just some of them, and give us each a testimony before the world of His strength and power in our seemingly overwhelming circumstances. There are many blessings that await us outside of that particular pit - don't you want to get out and see what they are?! The God of this universe is quite capable of reaching down and rescuing us from whatever horrible hole we find ourselves in - all we have to do is humble ourselves before Him, cry out for His help, and then trust Him to save!

Psalm 40:2
He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.

Yes, Joseph's brothers threw him into a pit, to perish there with hunger and cold, so brutal were their hearts. At times, those closest to you may appear impervious to your afflictions and afar off from your hurts, but God can always be touched with the feeling of our infirmities! What a comfort, amen? Ladies, don't let the cruelty of others discourage you - there is heavenly help on the way for your troublesome situation! If Joseph could counsel with you today he would tell you not to mistakenly pursue after vengeance, not to seek to repay the evils that have been done to you, for that business belongs to God alone. Instead, submit to the Lord's workings no matter how unclear they may be and trust the power of His loving hand. He saves those who trust… Wait on the Lord, be of good courage and He shall strengthen your heart! Wait I say, on the Lord!

Proverbs 20:22
Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the Lord, and he shall save thee.

God Bless,
Pam
Isaiah 60:1&2
Copyright 2000 Pamela A. Iannello
Revised 2003  Meet Ms. Pam

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