God is In Charge
God is In Charge
Joseph had a difficult life.
When we think of Joseph in the Bible, we may remember his famous coat of many colors. That coat got him in a lot of trouble with his brothers. They threw him in a pit and then when a group of Midianite traders came along, the brothers sold Joseph for twenty pieces of silver.
Joseph was taken to Egypt where he became a servant. There, he was falsely accused of trying to seduce the wife of his master. This resulted in him being sent to prison, where he remained for 2 years.
Joseph did not have his freedom, but the One who sets His people free was in control.
Genesis chapter 41 and following recounts the story of this part of Joseph’s life.
God’s plans cannot be thwarted.
God preserved the line of Adam (to whom He had made the promise that his offspring would bruise the head that old snake from the garden) through the flood.
God preserved the line of Noah’s son Seth through Abraham, who miraculously had a child with his wife despite the fact that she was barren, and they were both very elderly. This child’s name was Isaac, who would be the father of Jacob.
God used Jacob, whom He renamed Israel, to create the twelve tribes of the Hebrew nation.
In Genesis 41, we saw that God used Joseph to preserve those tribes and to increase them into a nation called Israel.
God preserved that nation and the line of Judah, Jesse, and David, to ensure that His plan to preserve you and me.
He promises to preserve us as well. In Colossians 3:3–4 He says, “ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.” (KJV 1900) He has made clear that His promise is reliable by giving us a deposit in advance. Just look at this:
2 Corinthians 1:22 (KJV 1900)
22Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
Ephesians 1:13–14 (KJV 1900)
13In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
14Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
The same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead lives in us. We live in Him. Having been born again, we are joined together Him.
My friend Mike Q. Daniel has been experiencing the reoccurrence of debilitating pain from a long-ago accident. Over the years since being very seriously injured in a car crash, he had learned how to manage, and often even prevent, serious chronic pain.
In recent weeks however, it has come back with a vengeance, and it has been very difficult for Mike to minister and work well.
When we face difficult times and circumstances that are unbearable, may our prayer be like the one he has been praying:
“I love you, Lord, and I want to know you in "this" - the very thing I wish I wasn’t in to begin with.
I don’t know the solution to my current problem, I couldn’t solve it even if I knew what the solution was, and I don’t know how You, Abba, should solve it for me. I just choose to trust that You will do what only You know to do and what only You can do, and ask that I can get to know You better through it.
Help me shift my focus from what I want “FROM this” to knowing you “IN this” today. And be glorified by your grace - whether getting me out of it or getting me through it - by your indwelling Presence. You’re enough.” --Mike Q. Daniel MikeQDaniel.com
Maybe you have had a difficult life too. While your circumstances were probably different than those Joseph faced, I’m confident you have faced your share of serious problems.
In fact, right now each of us is bombarded with terrible news coming from every direction. We hear of wars, like Syria and Ukraine, and rumors of the possibility of World War III. We hear of nation rising up against nation, whether it’s Russia and Finland or China and Taiwan. We hear of earthquakes, tornadoes, drought, wildfires, and famine. The stock market is giving us jitters as inflation shows no signs of slowing and the threat of economic recession looms large. To top it off there are health threats such as COVID, societal angst, and rising crime.
It is very easy for us to lose our focus on Jesus in the midst of all this. We do well however, to remember that Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the exact representation of His being. It’s easy for us to forget that it is in Him that we live and move and exist.
We are children of the God who created all that is, seen and unseen, by speaking. He created everything out of nothing by speaking, except for us. He fashioned us from the dust of the earth. Genesis 2:7 tells us that, “the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” (KJV 1900) This is reflected in Ephesians 2:10 where we read that we are his workmanship. God created us by crafting us.
I love what John the Baptist said in Matthew 3:9 “And think not to say within yourselves, ‘We have Abraham to our father:’ for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.” (KJV 1900) God is in control. There is nothing that He cannot do. There is nothing that can hinder Him in any way.
Paul encountered the truth that God is in control in 2 Corinthians 12:7–10 “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” (KJV 1900)
God made it clear in no uncertain terms that He was in control. He didn’t criticize Paul, or accuse him of whining, but He was clear that Paul was not going to be taken out of the situation. Great spiritual growth for Paul was the result.
Scripture is full of examples that show that Father is in charge of history. We know that He is omnipotent, omniscient, and He is immutable. That doesn’t mean we can’t shut Him up. It means He does not change.
No matter how things look, God is big enough to ensure that His plan is not thwarted. That includes His plan as it relates to each of us personally. There are no limitations that He cannot overcome.
What are some examples you can think of where scripture shows that God is in charge?
What are some examples you’ve heard of in the lives of others that demonstrated this?
How have you seen Father orchestrate events in your life?
The fact that God is in control is something that we can rely upon. As we notice His involvement in our lives, we grow in grace and the knowledge of the Lord.
When we face hardship and trouble, we can look back at how He dealt with us in the past. These things are a kind of ebenezer—a marker stone—as we find in 1 Samuel 7:12 “Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Eben-ezer, saying, Hitherto hath the LORD helped us.” (KJV 1900)
Louisa M. R. Stead (circa 1850-1917) and William James Kirkpatrick (1838-1921) wrote this wonderful hymn:
’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take Him at His word;
Just to rest upon His promise;
Just to know, Thus saith the Lord.
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him,
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er,
Jesus, Jesus, Precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust Him more.
O how sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to trust His cleansing blood;
Just in simple faith to plunge me,
’Neath the healing, cleansing flood.
Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just from sin and self to cease;
Just from Jesus simply taking
Life, and rest, and joy, and peace.
I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee,
Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;
And I know that Thou art with me,
Wilt be with me to the end.
