Genesis 37

'And the Lord was with Joseph'

If anyone could have said 'Woe is me' is was Joseph. His brothers hated him, he was sold into slavery and his situation seemed to get worse with every passing day. Hadn't God showed him great visions in his dreams? Wasn't he supposed to be some kind of ruler? Now look at him, he's a slave for an Egyptian, bought and sold for a price, not even his brothers made a dime off of his servitude because they were not mindful of him before he was captured into slavery. 

This Joseph that I describe above though, thankfully and praises to God, we never get to meet. We never meet the 'woe is me' Joseph. We meet and stay with the 'God is my helper, him will I serve no matter what' Joseph. This Joseph is a forerunner of Jesus Christ, this Joseph is a man despite his situations and not because of them, loved the Lord with all his heart. This is the 'no excuses' Joseph and we are all better off for meeting him. 

Joseph is purchased by the caption of Pharaoh's guard. Joseph does what he always does and goes about doing the best job he can. It doesn't take long for Joseph to be in charge of the entire household of the captain. Unfortunately the captain's wife takes a sinful liking to Joseph and speaks lies and evil of him after he embarrasses her by shunning her advances. Of course the captain comes home and is outraged at this news and sends Joseph off to jail. The fact that Joseph keeps his life shows God's hand and the favor Joseph was able to create with this captain despite such a heinous charge. 

So now that Joseph is in jail and has an even greater reason to feel rejected of God, he does what he does best. Joseph puts God first place, works hard, and then becomes the right hand man for the keeper of the prison. This is what today's Christian ought to be, the best at upholding God's righteousness and working hard. In Luke chapter 16 verses 8 through 12, 8 And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. 9 And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations. 10 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? 12 And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?

Not only in spiritual endeavors, but in secular endeavors, let's do the best job God allows us to do, so that when God wants to move in our life, we have influence not only those that love and serve God, but those that we have been in contact with in our daily lives.