From the Pulpit...

Hopefully we will not suffer the depth of trials that Joseph did. On the other hand, in humility we would never imagine or expect such height of earthly glory to come to ourselves as did to Joseph. After all, we are not in the Abrahamic line with the destiny of the nation of God’s people and coming Messiah resting on our life or actions. But we do have an impact on our families and church. We may not save a nation from starvation, but we can take steps to see to it that our families are properly cared for and spiritually well. We are also blessed to be part of the church community—many as direct members and others as collateral beneficiaries of the community. We are blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms. In that way, God has prospered Christians beyond measure in the things that truly matter. See my notes on Genesis 39:1-40:23 for a bit on the Christian theology of dreams. If you were in a situation like Joseph, in prison or in the government, how could you implement the Christian spiritual disciplines? You might not be able to do Bible reading for example, if you do not have a Bible or are in the middle of the workday, but you could pray, worship, evangelize, serve, use time wisely, fast, be in silence and solitude when appropriate, and persevere in the disciplines of faith.