Today, I am reading and commenting on  Genesis 39-41.

I usually try to avoid writing a blog which goes over the point which has been made time and again about a passage, but today’s passage contains a basic, obvious point which is too important not to talk about again.  Joseph’s life went terribly, but he never saw it as a reason to live as a victim.  His brothers planned to kill him, then decided it would be better to sell him into slavery, where they thought he would be worked to death, but Joseph did not allow it to stop himself from doing the best that he could.  That work ethic resulted in him rising to a position of power within the household of one of the most powerful men in Egypt, although he was still a slave.  Then, when everything was going well for him, he was imprisoned on false charges.  Once again, he refused to retreat into despair, but instead did the best he could and rose to a position of some standing, although admittedly still a prisoner.  Then, after the cupbearer was released, he remained a prisoner for two more years.  Yet, he appears to have continued to do his best throughout that time.  If at any time Joseph had given in to despair, he would not have been in the position where God could use him to save his family.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.