Trusting God’s Plan - Joseph Continued 6
We’re talking about Joseph and how he went from a prison to a palace, but it wasn’t by feeling sorry for himself. We can choose to live in self-pity if we want, but the road of self-pity never leads to a life of peace in the “palace.” I invite you to join us on this journey, where we all strive for personal growth and a better life!
Diana’s Notes
Alive in 2025
Hi Everyone!! I am your host, Diana, and welcome to today’s episode of Joseph: Scene 6—the Final Scene- On Heartfelt Conversations with Diana.
Last week, we talked about how little Mrs. Potiphar made false accusations against Joseph, and he was thrown in jail. God warns us to be very careful how we treat another person's reputation. God does not like unkind actions toward other people. Sometimes, we have to fight the dark things of this world, but people are not who we attack with words or actions, especially with lies.
1 Peter 3:10: “For whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech.
Did you know that we can turn our lives around and that we have the power to bring life into our lives just from the words we choose to speak? We can talk about life or even death in our lives by what we say. Our words lead our hearts and our actions.
Proverbs 12:18: The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
We have the power to change a situation by the words we speak. When someone is hurting, we can be supportive and comfort them, or we can choose to keep our pride, get the last word, and become reckless out of emotion. Rather than bringing comfort and healing, we pierce their hearts and deepen the wound with harsh, hard-cutting words.
I think we have all been there. As probably the giver and the receiver!
Sometimes, I feel it coming and say to myself internally, “Shut your mouth, Diana, just don’t do it! Do not respond! And then, there is the last poke, and I rebel, and like a dagger, my mouth pierces. Thankfully, I have begun to train that dragon over the past few years! HAHAHA - And do you know what has happened???? I have more peace in my life and less stress!!!!
If you struggle in this area like me, give it your best shot and study scripture in your words, and you will begin to live an entirely new life!
Potiphar’s wife speaks lies and death about Joseph, and they temporarily bring another layer of hardship on Joseph. I am surprised the dude hasn’t cracked yet. You know, I had a meltdown and told everybody off, including God. Because that is how I handled the pressure of life when faced with it. I did not seek God’s word or His peace. I immediately thought about myself. Somewhere along the way, I lost sight of the things my heart wanted to fight for: my family and my children. And I found my eyesight inward, on me. What I did or didn’t have and self-pity can lead to a lonely road.
We can choose to live in self-pity if we want, but the road of self-pity never leads to a life of peace in the “palace”.
Joseph had great faith that I was the God who brought Israel out of Egypt, the God who established the foundations of the entire universe. Joseph knew not to focus on what he could see with his physical eye, not to get caught up in self-pity or self-doubt, but to remember God, Yahweh, the One Who is above all things, and to hold fast to his faith.
Hebrews 11:1: “Now faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see.”
God wants us to live with the assurance and confidence that He will show up when we need Him to work everything out for our good. We just need to learn and trust that God and God alone know exactly when that time is.
Sometimes, we cry, “Uncle,” and want immediate relief, and He might be saying, “There is more in you that needs to be developed.”
Are we letting God develop us, strengthen us, equip us, and prepare our capacity for the things we have been asking for, or are we making things happen our way, our plan? Maybe a little shift in thinking will help encourage us to make sure we are asking God to show us the way, not just forging our own path and expecting Him to make it work.
Maybe???
So, here we are, Joseph now in prison
Joseph Put in Prison
19 Potiphar was furious when he heard his wife’s story about how Joseph had treated her. 20 So he took Joseph and threw him into the prison where the king’s prisoners were held, and there he remained. 21 But the LORD was imprisoned with Joseph and showed him his faithful love. And the LORD made Joseph a favorite with the prison warden. 22 Before long, the warden put Joseph in charge of all the other prisoners and over everything that happened in prison. 23 The warden had no more worries because Joseph took care of everything. The LORD was with him and caused everything he did to succeed.
The Lord blesses Potiphar and his household, and all his affairs are blessed until, LIES>>>>> Lies from an evil woman who intended to harm Joseph because he embarrassed her by turning down her sexual advancements. Hence, she has her husband thrown in jail, so now an enslaved person and a prisoner-once again, God shows up and says I am with you, Joseph. God blesses Joseph and the prison warden.
Then God begins to move. He has Joseph in a prime position of receiving great favor and honor, but Joseph has no idea what God is up to. He just remains humble and faithful to God.
It's like the Disney Movie- Beauty and the Beast with Mrs. Potts and Chip and the chandelier and the clock only in this scene. ENTER the:
Cupbearer and the Chief Baker
Genesis 40 1-4
Joseph Interprets Two Dreams
1 Sometime later, Pharaoh’s chief cup-bearer and chief baker offended their royal master. 2 Pharaoh became angry with these two officials, three, and he put them in the prison where Joseph was, in the palace of the captain of the guard. 4 They remained in prison for quite some time, and the captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, who looked after them.
While in prison, Pharaoh's chief cup-bearer and chief baker had troubling dreams. Joseph, also imprisoned, offered to interpret them, saying that dream interpretation belongs to God. The cup-bearer’s dream indicated he would be restored to his position in three days, while the baker’s dream foretold his execution in the same timeframe. Joseph asked the cup-bearer to remember him once freed. As predicted, the cup-bearer was restored on Pharaoh's birthday, and the baker was executed, but after being reinstated, the cup-bearer forgot about Joseph.
WHAT?????? So the chief Cup-bearer watched, observed, saw with his own eyes everything come to pass what Joseph had interpreted, and he never gave Joseph another thought?? Wow! Talk about a fair-weathered friend.
You can read the complete account in Genesis 40:1-23
God blesses Joseph even in prison. Now, that has to bring some comfort, knowing that everywhere you turn, people are out to destroy you, lie about you, break you, and even completely forget about you. Still, God is quietly working in the background, protecting you in the shadow of His Almighty Presence, and you know, no matter what, you’re going to be okay. That is powerful!!! Satan cannot steal that kind of peace and assurance from you.
Did the Cup-bearer ever remember Joseph? Good question!! :) Let’s see…
Pharaoh’s Dreams Genesis 41: 1-7
1 Two years later, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing on the bank of the Nile River. 2 In his dream he saw seven fat, healthy cows come up out of the river and begin grazing in the marsh grass. 3 Then he saw seven more cows come up behind them from the Nile, but these were scrawny and thin. These cows stood beside the fat cows on the riverbank. 4 Then the scrawny, thin cows ate the seven healthy, fat cows! At this point in the dream, Pharaoh woke up.
5 But he fell asleep again and had a second dream. This time, he saw seven heads of grain, plump and beautiful, growing on a single stalk. 6 Then seven more heads of grain appeared, but these were shriveled and withered by the east wind. 7 And these thin heads swallowed up the seven plump, well-formed heads! Then Pharaoh woke up again and realized it was a dream.
Pharaoh had two troubling dreams: one about seven fat cows being devoured by seven thin cows and another about seven healthy heads of grain being swallowed by seven withered ones. No one in Egypt could interpret them. The king’s cupbearer then remembered Joseph, a Hebrew prisoner who had previously interpreted dreams accurately.
Joseph was brought before Pharaoh and explained that both dreams carried God’s message: Egypt would experience seven years of great abundance, followed by seven years of severe famine. He advised Pharaoh to appoint a wise leader to store surplus food during the good years to prepare for the famine.
Impressed by Joseph’s wisdom, Pharaoh placed him in charge of Egypt, second only to himself, to manage the food storage and safeguard the nation during the coming crisis.
Verse 37 :
37 Joshua’s suggestions were well received by Pharaoh and his officials. 38 So Pharaoh asked his officials, “Can we find anyone else like this man so obviously filled with the spirit of God?” 39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has revealed the meaning of the dreams to you, clearly no one else is as intelligent or wise as you are. 40 You will be in charge of my court, and all my people will take your orders. Sitting on my throne, only I will have a rank higher than yours.”
God is so GOOD - Joseph is Made Ruler of Egypt
41 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the entire land of Egypt.” 42 Then, Pharaoh removed his signet ring from his hand and placed it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in fine linen clothing and hung a gold chain around his neck. 43 Then he had Joseph ride in the chariot reserved for his second-in-command. And wherever Joseph went, the command was shouted, “Kneel!” So Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of all of Egypt. 44 And Pharaoh said to him, “I am Pharaoh, but no one will lift a hand or foot in the entire land of Egypt without your approval.”
Joseph’s dreams are coming true. God has elevated Joseph to a position only God Could!
But what about the sun, moon, and stars that Joseph saw bowing to him that made his brothers so furious??
Well, it turns out that the famine was severe throughout the entire land, and people came from everywhere looking to buy grain from Joseph…. Including Joseph’s father, Jacob.
Genesis 42–50 tells the dramatic conclusion of Joseph’s story, focusing on his reconciliation with his brothers and the survival of Jacob’s family during the famine. There is a lot that unfolds during these chapters, so when you have a few minutes one day, I recommend reading through these chapters so you can see God’s awesomeness at work, but for time’s sake, I’m just summarizing the events:
During a severe famine, Jacob sends his sons to Egypt to buy grain, but he keeps Benjamin (Joseph’s youngest brother) at home. Unbeknownst to them, their long-lost brother Joseph is the governor of Egypt. Joseph recognizes them but hides his identity, testing them by accusing them of being spies and demanding they bring Benjamin. He secretly returns their money and keeps Simeon in prison until they comply.
When the famine worsens, Jacob reluctantly allows Benjamin to go. The brothers return to Egypt with gifts, and Joseph hosts them at his palace. Overcoming his emotions upon seeing Benjamin, he devises another test: he plants a silver cup in Benjamin’s sack and accuses him of theft. Judah passionately pleads for Benjamin, offering himself instead, showing the brothers have changed.
Joseph finally reveals his identity, embracing and forgiving them, explaining that God used their betrayal for a greater purpose. Pharaoh invites Jacob’s 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
14 After burying Jacob, Joseph returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had accompanied him to his father’s burial. 15 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.
16 So they sent this message to Joseph: “Before your father died, he instructed us 17 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. 18 Then his brothers came and threw themselves down before Joseph. “Look, we are your slaves!” they said.
19 But Joseph replied, “Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God that I can punish you? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. 21 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.
So, what would you do? If your family tried to kill you, destroy you, and place you in a situation where, for years, decades, you had to overcome horrendous circumstances, ripped from a life of safety and security, and thrown into a foreign land where the people hate your race, you and your relatives. Would you be humble enough to allow God to change them while you forgave them and rescued the people who harmed you?
It would be tough! But, when we do the opposite of what our human flesh would like to do, and we humble ourselves before God, like Joseph, and can say to our hearts, am I God that I should punish them???? When we can die to our limited thinking and trust God to work everything out for our benefit… when we are confident in God’s love for us and His faithfulness to us, then we can let go of hate, anger, violence, retaliation, and live in peace and rest, and comfort knowing like verse 20 said
You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good.
Just hold onto those few words…. But God…..
Everything may seem impossible…. But God….
When we learn to have a humble heart, God will protect us with His divine favor, and we can trust Him to be faithful.
With a humble heart, God can use us to bring about good for many people. He will elevate us to positions of leadership because we have demonstrated our dependence upon Him to help us make the right decisions to manage and oversee projects or tasks and day-to-day operations effectively and wisely with integrity and honor.
Sometimes, the very things that seem like obstacles, setbacks, struggles, and hardships may be preparing us for a future role in leadership, but God needs to work out some of our hard, stubborn areas. He is strengthening, sharpening, and developing our skills, so when the time is right, and we have been learning to lean on Him, then at the right, appropriate time, we are placed in the correct position at the right time.
The most challenging roadblock to our success is sometimes ourselves: our conduct, how we treat other people, our trustworthiness, and our ability to remain faithful to God no matter the adversity we face.
When we learn to Be Still and Let God be God, not always taking matters into our own hands, God is able to move freely in that space where our hearts remain diligent, responsive, and trusting God’s plan for our lives.
Joseph’s life exemplifies the fact, the truth, that God can use even the most challenging circumstances for His purposes and His glory. It inspires us to pursue integrity, righteousness, and an unwavering faith that God will prepare us, position us, and promote us when we surrender our lives to Him.
Romans 8:28: (NLT) And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose.
And that is where we will end today’s conversation!
Well! I hope you have enjoyed our little series on Joseph and that you have found encouragement in his story.
Relationships of any kind can be difficult. Joseph had many difficult relationships, so to give you additional encouragement on how to develop good, healthy relationships, I have put a link to Pastor Eric’ and Alexa’s message, Building Relationships That Last, and their podcast, Getting Real About Relationships- on the notes for this week. I hope you have a chance to listen and that you find confidence in our living God.
You can find the link to their podcast and message on -
Heartfeltconversations.com -https://www.heartfeltconversations.com/
Next week, we’ll wrap up our conversation about Joseph
Remember! God is for you!!! He is the Power above any 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!! LOL
Bathe in the goodness of God and rest in His Amazing Grace!
God bless, and I will see ya next Time!
Pastor Eric and Alexa: Weekend Service/Valley Family Church
Happily Even After: Building Relationships That Last | Pastors Eric & Alexa Jones
Pastor’s Podcast: Cutting Room Floor
Songs to inspire you
Zach Williams - Fear Is a Liar (Official Lyric Video)
I AM THEY - Promises (Official Music Video)
I AM THEY - Reckless Love (Acoustic Video)
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/