The Joseph Story Comes Full Circle - Series Wrap Up
Most people have experienced hurt, betrayal, rejection, fear of failure, and fear of the future. We have all battled through experiences that may have felt overwhelming. Life can be harsh, but you don’t have to do it alone! Join the conversation and take away three practical tips today!
Diana’s Notes
Hi Everyone!! And welcome to the wrap-up of our series on Joseph here on Heartfelt Conversations with Diana.
So we ended with Joseph being imprisoned last week, and the Lord gave Joseph favor even in there! In fact, this time the prison warden noticed Joseph, and if you want a pal in prison, it might as well be the warden. Go big or go home, right? LOL
The account of Joseph’s story is so encouraging for anyone who feels like the universe is against them. That around every corner, you run smack dab into disaster, you can not catch a break, and you wonder why this hex, this black cloud of doom and gloom seems to hover over your life when all you ever wanted was to live a good life. Be happy. Akoona Matatah, like in The Lion King- “Ain’t no worries for the rest of my days!”
Well, you, my friend, are in terrific company! Joseph lived that life, I have lived through that life, and Jesus went down the road of rejection. Most people joining in on this conversation have experienced hurt, betrayal, rejection, fear of failure, and fear of the future. We have all battled through some experiences that may have felt overwhelming.
Grab your bible, a pen, and a journal, find a nice quiet place, and read through the entire story of Joseph; then jot down any feelings or thoughts that stir up within your heart. Practicing this for 5-10 minutes daily will bring you insight and comfort, and you will soon develop a deeper relationship with God. It might be scary or hard, creating emotions you don’t want to deal with. But if we are going to learn to have the kind of faith Joseph did, so that we believe God for big things, impossible things, then we will have to stop playing patty cake with God and develop a relationship with Him.
At the end of this podcast, I will demonstrate how I apply God’s Word to my life.
Genesis 41:14-16 (NKJV) Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him quickly out of the dungeon; he shaved, changed his clothing, and came to Pharaoh.
And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that you can understand a dream, to interpret it.”
So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a peace answer.”
One reason Joseph endured the derailment of his life was the simplicity of his faith in God.
Joseph knows and understands the limitations upon him as a man, a mortal, a human being. But! Joseph also knew his God's majestic power, authority, and deity, Yahweh. God looks to do mighty things through people who recognize that their ability is limited but in God, nothing is impossible and then when God moves mountains, performs glorious miracles, does what only He can do; when we are humble like Joseph saying, “it is not in me; God will give….” It is that attitude of our hearts giving God the glory and honor, not puffing up ourselves, but acknowledging that our gift, our ability, comes from Him Alone. That is humility, a surrendered heart to God, and that, no weapon, power, or devil can keep from accomplishing that person's destiny.
Isaiah 54:17: But in that coming day, no weapon turned against you will succeed. You will silence every voice raised up to accuse you. These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the LORD; their vindication will come from me. I, the LORD, have spoken!
Joseph knew he worshiped and believed in God, who did not know the impossible. With God, all things are made possible. And in God, we can do all things!
Joseph never took credit for what God was doing. When Joseph interpreted dreams, he never told anyone that he was doing it. His answer was, "It is not in me, but! God will…….
We need to relieve the pressure of being a little God and minimize our egos (lol) so that God can be God and work through us as He desires. He is the only One who knows the beginning from the end.
Isaiah 52:12: (EASY) But you will not have to hurry and run away. No, the Lord, Israel's God, will keep you safe. He will lead you at the front and be your guard at the back.
God Himself declares that He Alone is an Omnipotent (aam - na- poh-tnt God. He is Omnipresence (aam-nah - present), and Omniscience.
( aam- ni-shence. God is not restricted by time, but lives in eternity. He is all-knowing, and there is absolutely nothing He does not know, including future events in our lives. God possesses complete and universal knowledge of all things, past, present, and future, including the actual and the possible. WOW!
God desires to work through us so we don’t live isolated, island lives. But that we learn to care for one another, help one another, build bonds within our communities, small business helping other small businesses, neighbors in neighborhoods looking out for one another, helping someone unload groceries from their car who is in need, taking a cup of soup over to someone who you know lives alone. You noticed they haven’t been out for a few days. We can become so entangled in ourselves that we don’t see the needs of others, and God desires to help others through us.
God didn’t just give Joseph amazing dreams to puff him up. God knew that hard times were coming, and He needed a man He knew He could work through to save the lives of many.
We don’t have to worry about who will look out for us. God is taking care of us in our comings and goings. He goes before us and comes in behind us. When we set our eyes on Him, we have nothing to worry about.
Somehow, when we place God where He belongs—on the throne of our hearts—we begin to grow a little more in His image. God is Good, Kind, Generous, and Slow to Anger. He loves joy and laughter and wants to bless our lives like a good father lavishes love all over his children. even more, because He is God, our Heavenly Father.
Matthew 7:11: So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
This verse shows God's generosity and all-encompassing love compared to human nature, painting a picture that reveals in His word that if flawed humans can give good gifts to their children, then God, being perfect, will provide even better gifts to those who seek Him..
Joseph’s faith remained strong throughout his life because he confirmed his faith in God by acknowledging Him as the supreme giver of knowledge and wisdom of all things!
Joseph didn’t try to take God’s credit.
Have you ever experienced doing a good job on something and someone else took the credit? It’s annoying, and worse, you feel disrespected. And so does God.
When our faith is tested and proven genuine, we are positioning ourselves under the blessings of God. We must not forget that following God will result in blessings that we will enjoy here and now, in the land of the living, this lifetime and all eternity. His blessings come in all shapes and sizes!!! Peace, Joy, Contentment, Wisdom, Generosity…. Your circumstances from the world view looking in may not seem prosperous, but you will have such a Presence of God in your life, no matter what people see, what you see with your physical eye. In your spirit, you will know, and that will set you free.
Of course, God will not bless us because “we” are righteous in and of ourselves, but we know we are heirs to his blessings because of Who He is. He chooses to enjoy us as His children. His adopted children are by the blood of the Lamb, Jesus. He blesses us because of HIS love and mercy.
Joseph, after a few tests, receives his brothers and tells them that even though they meant to harm him, their intentions were meant for evil, God had a different plan. God knew a famine was coming, and through Joseph’s willingness to remain faithful and humble while God was working out the way to position Joseph where He needed him to be, God protected him, provided for him, and blessed him even when it looked like he was enslaved or a prisoner. God will always make a way for those who remain faithful and humble, and allow God to work all things out for our good.
Are you faithfully following God while waiting on Him to make the moves you need for a breakthrough?
I want to encourage you not to become impatient. There are details, circumstances, people, and even our own attitude that God needs to pull together and work out and tweak the specifics so that His good and perfect will can be accomplished. But if we hurry it, if we become impatient and don’t do our part, trusting Him, then we may create a longer wait or never learn the skill sets we need to accomplish all the dreams we have planted within us successfully.
Joseph finally reveals his identity to his brothers, embracing and forgiving them, explaining that God used their betrayal for a greater purpose. The Pharaoh invites Jacob (Joseph’s father) and the entire family to settle in Egypt. Jacob and his descendants move to Goshen, where they prosper. Before dying, Jacob blesses his sons and Joseph’s children. After Jacob’s death, the brothers fear Joseph may seek revenge, but he reassures them of his forgiveness.
Joseph Reassures His Brothers
Genesis 50:14-21: After burying Jacob, Joseph returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had accompanied him to his father’s burial. But now that their father was dead, Joseph’s brothers became fearful. “Now Joseph will show his anger and pay us back for all the wrong we did to him,” they said. So they sent this message to Joseph: “Before your father died, he instructed us to say to you: ‘Please forgive your brothers for the great wrong they did to you—for their sin in treating you so cruelly.’ So we, the servants of the God of your father, beg you to forgive our sin.” When Joseph received the message, he broke down and wept. Then his brothers came and threw themselves down before Joseph. “Look, we are your slaves!” they said. But Joseph replied, “Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you? You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save many people’s lives. No, don’t be afraid. I will continue to take care of you and your children.” So he reassured them by speaking kindly to them.
In episode 10, Joseph: the final scene, we read how Joseph, after being made second in command to Pharaoh himself, reveals who he is to his brothers.
Finally, after many years of being a slave and imprisoned, God brings Joseph and his brothers face to face.
What would your response be to family members who sold you, allowing your entire life as a teen to be stolen from you? Would you help them in their hour of need? Would you say, “too bad, so sad, sucks to be you”! HAHAHA
There was a time when I would not have been very sympathetic. I would have thought that they got what they deserved. But God calls us to live higher than that.
Why? Because he wants us to be doormats and let people treat us however they want?
No, not at all!!! God desires that every single one of us take on the personal responsibility, our civic duty, but even deeper, our eternal duty, to treat every person the way we want to be treated, and when they don’t….
Seek God. Seek Him first. God, how do you want me to handle this? Could you show me your way? In the meantime, help me be forgiving and let go. Do not hold onto bitterness because bitterness will lead me to a bitter life, and that is not YOUR best for me.
Jesus was insulted all of the time. How did He handle it?
When he was attacked, insulted, degraded, cut down, put down, lied about, and injured, what was His response?
1 Peter 2:23 tells us - When He was insulted, He did not answer back with an insult; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but placed His hopes in God, the righteous Judge.
When anyone tries to harm us, hurt us, or place us under their feet, let’s remember not to respond in like manner but to learn to do as Jesus did, not to respond in like manner but to rise above it and trust God to handle them in His way and in His time. For He alone is the righteous Judge.
So, as we wrap up this series on Joseph, here are my three treasures God gave me from His word, that I can learn from and then practice in my own life. That is how we know to be the light. How we learn to walk, talk, look, and live more like Jesus. This is how we learn to become His disciples. And for me, that is my goal. How to live more aligned with the way Christ Jesus lived. Full of His Father’s loving goodness, grace, mercy, loving-kindness, and forgiveness.
If you desire to change your world, to make this earth a better place to live, a kinder, more peace-filled world, learn to live like Jesus. He is the Prince of Peace, the Messiah of the World. His hand is gentle toward us. He is all you will ever need. He is all I need. He is everything our world needs to know.
Please join our mission here at Valley and make it your mission: to know Jesus and make Him known.
Okay, LOL. With all of that said, here are the three things I learned. Use these, or read Joseph’s story and see if you take away 3 of your own.
Here we go…..
1. Trust God Even When Life Doesn’t Make Sense
Joseph’s life was full of unexpected hardships—betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, falsely accused, and thrown into prison. Yet, through it all, he remained faithful to God. He didn’t allow his circumstances to shake his trust in God’s plan.
As disciples of Christ, we must learn to trust God even when life seems unfair or confusing. Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." When we don’t understand why something is happening, we can trust that God is working behind the scenes for our good, just as He did in Joseph’s life (Genesis 50:20).
What I am learning: When facing trials, instead of asking, “Why is this happening?” learn to ask, “God, how can I trust You in this?” Then pray and surrender my situation to Him, knowing He sees the bigger picture.
2. Walk in Integrity No Matter the Cost
Joseph faced temptations and false accusations, yet he remained steadfast in his integrity. When Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce him, he refused and said, “How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9). Even when doing the right thing led to suffering, Joseph stayed faithful.
As disciples of Jesus, we are called to live lives of integrity. Following Christ means choosing righteousness over compromise, even when no one is watching. 1 Peter 2:12 says, “Live such good lives among the pagans that… they may see your good deeds and glorify God.”
The New Living Translation reads it this way:
Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then, even if they accuse you of wrong, they will see your honorable behavior and honor God when he judges the world.
What I am learning: Examine my life—are there areas where I am tempted to cut corners, tell half-truths, or compromise my faith? Choose to honor God in every decision, knowing that integrity brings His favor and blessing.
3. Forgive Freely and Trust in God’s Justice
One of the most potent moments in Joseph’s life was when he forgave his brothers, saying, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good” (Genesis 50:20). Instead of seeking revenge, he trusted God’s greater plan and extended grace.
Jesus calls us to do the same: In Luke 6:37, he tells us, “Forgive, and you will be forgiven”. As disciples, we must let go of bitterness and trust that God is the ultimate judge. Forgiveness doesn’t mean ignoring the hurt but releasing others from the debt we feel they owe us, just as Christ has forgiven us.
What I am learning: Are there people I need to forgive? Do I expect emotional payment from a hurt or a wound? Pray and ask God to help me release resentment, unforgiveness, or bitterness by trusting in Him to bring me what He knows I need—healing or maybe justice. But God has us covered, and we can have peace in knowing that.
By trusting God in trials, walking in integrity, and freely forgiving, we reflect Jesus's heart and grow as His disciples. Let’s live out these principles in faith, knowing God is shaping us for His purpose!
And that is where we will end today’s conversation!
Well! I hope you have enjoyed stopping by and can use at least one of the lessons I am learning. To give you additional encouragement on your journey, there is a link to Pastor Steven Furtick from Elevation Church and his message "Get To The Good Part" in the notes for this week. I hope you have a chance to listen and may receive confident hope in our Living God and His word for your life!
You can find the link to his message on -
Heartfeltconversations.com -https://www.heartfeltconversations.com/
Join Next week, as we continue to learn to be the light!
Remember! God is for you!!! He is the Power above every other power, and that same power is available to you.
Romans 8:31 in the AMP Bible tells us: What shall we say to all these things? If God is for us, who can be [successful] against us?
Chin up!! Eyes on Jesus!! LOL
Bathe in the goodness of God and rest in His Amazing Grace!
God bless, and I will see ya next Time!
Pastor Steven Furtick: Message/Elevation Church:
Get To The Good Part | Pastor Steven Furtick | Elevation Church
Songs to inspire you
Made For More - Josh Baldwin, feat. Jenn Johnson
Leeland - Way Maker (Official Live Video)
His Mercy Is More (Live)-Matt Papa & Matt Boswell
Foundation Verse
Romans 8:11
The Spirit of God, Who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, He will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living in you. “
Additional Resources
Prayer of Salvation
Jesus has given salvation, healing, and countless benefits to all who call upon His name. These benefits can be yours if you receive Him into your heart by saying this prayer:
Heavenly Father, I come to You admitting that I am a sinner. Right now, I choose to turn away from sin, and I ask You to cleanse me of all unrighteousness. I believe that Jesus rose again from the dead so that I may be justified and made righteous through faith in Him. I call upon the name of Jesus Christ to be the Savior and Lord of my life. Jesus, I choose to follow You, and I ask that You fill me with the power of the Holy Spirit. I declare right now that I am a born again, child of God. I am free from sin and full of the righteousness of God. I am saved in Jesus’ name. Amen.
This prayer and the comment above, were taken out of the book:
Secrets to Powerful Prayer - Discovering the Languages of the Heart
By Lynne Hammond and Patsy Cameneti
If you have just received Jesus as your Savior, please write Lynne Hammond Ministries at:
PO Box 29469
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55429-2946
Or, email one of the ministries listed on the Additional Resources Tab and let them know that you are a brand new Christian and need some direction on the next steps for your new life in Christ.
Or email us here at Heartfelt Conversations with Diana and we will pass along your information for you.
Congratulations if you are a brand new Christian or if you have Returned Home! Welcome!!! Get in God’s Word and get it into you!
Diana’s Home Church:
Valley Family Church - Pastor’s Eric and Alexa Jones
www.valleyfamilychurch.org
Other recommended Jesus-centered churches who teach the True Word of God:
Elevation Church - Steven Furtick
https://elevationchurch.org/
Joseph Prince Ministries - Joseph Prince
https://www.josephprince.org/
Joyce Meyer Ministries
https://joycemeyer.org/