The story of Joseph is a paradigmatic account of how God brings about his perfect purposes through the most adverse circumstances. Through the evil intent of people and “the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune” (to quote Shakespeare) God’s purpose prevails. In every story in the Bible the people of God take the same convoluted path to their destination. In many cases, it seems that the fulfilment of the promise is just within reach and then the path diverges into a tangled knot of seemingly chaotic events only to be resolved perfectly in the favour of God’s people and God’s purpose. The story of Joseph is the first of these great stories. We see the same pattern with Moses, David and indeed with Israel as a whole. The story of Israel is anticipated in Joseph’s turbulent journey. Israel will end up in slavery in Egypt, but God had promised that she would become a great nation and a blessing to the whole world. And through Christ (and the ultimate example of God bringing his perfect purpose through man’s evil) this is now being fulfilled. Life with God is not predictable. Our journeys can and most often do take the most complex and convoluted paths. Get ready for unexpected detours. So, learn to expect the unexpected. Just hold on to God and don’t try to pre-empt where he is leading you. Just trust him and don’t let go. He will get you there in the end. He is faithful and he always comes through. You will see that in the end.
Entrust your ways to God.
Read Genesis 37:12-36
