Envy Into Emergency

I love the story of Joseph! I am also going through Joseph right now with our students on Wednesdays for Magnify. Joseph is an amazing example of God proving that He is always with us. The beginning of the story of Joseph starts here in Genesis 37 and it is an unfortunate story of envy and hatred. Joseph is the younger of many sons of Jacob. But because of the circumstance of his birth (being born to Jacob's favorite wife) he becomes the favorite, creating envy and anger in the hearts of the brothers. Joseph's brothers hated him to the point of wanting to kill him. They settled on selling him into slavery but only because that way they could make a profit. Envy and hatred are terrible things. The sins of the brothers were all in God’s plan and God does use Joseph in great ways after he is sold into slavery, but this is no excuse for their sin! We serve a great God who can and will use us even though we sin and do things that are wrong. Praise the Lord for this! But the hatred they showed toward Joseph was not without its own consequences. To start, we see that their father grieved for quite some time over the assumed death of his son Joseph. Our envy of others may not be to the extent of wanting to kill someone, but we all struggle with coveting something that someone else has. In my life, just like the brothers, I do not think some people have earned the “lucky hand” they have been dealt. This sort of envy can corrupt the mind! We have to be watchful that we are not coveting the things that others have. God knows you and knows what is best for you! He is the sovereign God of the universe and He cares about you deeply! Give your anger and your worries about the things you need to Him. God uses Joseph in great ways throughout his story even when Joseph had absolutely nothing. God always took care of Joseph and we are reminded time and time again that He was with Joseph. He is with us as His children! Praise God that He is present in a believer’s life!