Refuge Audio Podcast

If you aren’t careful, committing and concealing sin can deaden your conscience at times—so much so that apart from a gracious work of God to awaken your conscience, you would just life the rest of your life in the awfulness of unconfessed sin.

That’s exactly where Joseph’s brother have been for over 20 years. They learned to live with the wilting awfulness of unconfessed sin. They may have had times of awkward glances, each knowing exactly what the other was thinking—memories of what they did to and with Joseph. But they never confessed their sin.

You see, the suffering of concealing sin only happens for those who have a sensitive conscience. And now, as these 10 brother kneel before who they think is just an Egyptian official, God was beginning to soften their hearts and bring a sensitivity to their consciences. And Joseph, that Egyptian official, was an instrument in God’s hands to bring his brothers to confession and repentance so that they could enjoy unhindered fellowship with their brother and their God once again.

For two years, Joseph was forgotten and forsaken in an Egyptian prison for a crime he didn’t commit. That was after serving as a slave for eleven years. And that was after being sold into slavery by his brothers (who were planning on killing him).

With all that Joseph has gone through up to this point, the temptation to feel forgotten and forsaken would be strong. But God didn’t forsake or forget about Joseph. He was using the twists and turns and ups and downs in Joseph’s life to prepare him for what would come next.

God knew Joseph–and God knows us. He knows that “…tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Romans 5:3-5). Like Joseph, we need to be willing to endure the greatness of God’s plan of preparation. Because, just like Joseph, we don’t know what God has around the next twist and turn. And when you look back and see pain and misery, your mind can wander to wondering if you have been forgotten and forsaken.

Instead, we can look ahead full of faith to endure the seasons of preparation God knows we need for what’s coming next. He is preparing us for something so much great that what’s about to happen to Joseph.

As we’ve been studying the life of Joseph, the word picture that keeps coming up to illustrate the journey God had for Joseph is that of a roller coaster. The ups, the downs, the twists, the turns—Joseph went through it all!

Joseph started out as his father’s favorite with a coat of many colors. But this dreamer was despised by his brothers, who plotted to kill him but made a profit by selling him into slavery. As he served in his master’s house, Joseph was tempted by his master’s wife, then falsely accused of a crime and thrown into prison.

Nevertheless, he chose to honor God. He continued to obey God. He resolved to serve God—because he personally knew the Architect of the roller coaster. No matter what, no matter where, Joseph trusted God.

As we studied Genesis 40 this past Sunday, we saw even more twists and turns in the life of Joseph. But that doesn’t mean that all the ups and downs are over. The Architect of the roller coaster hadn’t forgotten about him. He hasn’t forgotten about you.

Fight or flight? In a split second, our bodies undergo an amazing series of responses when a sudden stress places us in potential harm. In that split second, we have a choice—do we stay and fight or do we run away? And what’s the right answer?

Fighting seems like the most courageous choice—and in certain circumstances it might be. But when it comes to temptation, fighting is not the wisest thing to do. It’s also not the courageous to do.

“How can a young man keep his way pure?” asked the psalmist in Psalm 119:9. The answer…”By living according to Your word.”

What does God’s word say about sin and temptation? Avoid the initial sinful action altogether by running away! Flee sexual immorality. Flee from idolatry. Flee also youthful lusts.

This is what we see in the life of Joseph in Genesis 39. He was a young man, who kept his way pure by living according to God’s word. Not just by fleeing sin and temptation, but also by “pursuing righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” (2 Timothy 2:22)

God has a wonderful plan for your life…even though life is full of suffering and sorrow at times. It’s just that suffering and sorrow is not the end of the story.

You see, the story—the epic poem—that God is writing with your life includes high highs and low lows.

The question is, are you going to trust God and obey God through the lowest lows and the highest highs…just like Joseph?

Our study in Genesis now turns to this young man. His life is a practical and productive study with real life application for our lives with God here and now—and so much more.

Have you ever felt like God was done with you? Maybe you feel that you’ve sinned too many times. Or you feel that you’re too old or not relevant.

If you are in Jesus, that feeling isn’t based on fact. It’s not true. God is not done with you! Feelings, although real and tangible, aren’t always the greatest communicators of truth. Sometimes, feelings just straight up lie to you.

So where can we go when we have those fleeting feelings that God is done with us? To the place where God speaks. Where He dwells. We can go to the scriptures and see God interact with people like Jacob. A man with many sins and many years…and yet, God still speaks to him. God still uses him.

In Genesis 35, God tells Jacob to go back to the beginning…back to the place where He began speaking to Jacob. Back to Bethel. Back to the “House of God”. There, God gave Jacob a gift of grace…a gift Jacob didn’t deserve and could never earn.

It’s the same gift God longs to give to you. He is not done with you!

When Dinah was raped, her father Jacob acted indifferently. When her brothers heard about what happened, they were more concerned with revenge than her welfare. And when the dust had settled from the aftermath of even more darkness and brokenness, it seems like Dinah was an afterthought.

But not to God.

He saw her and what happened to her. He cared about and for her. Even though Dinah’s earthly father wasn’t involved, her Heavenly Father was. Even though Dinah’s older brothers schemed revenge, her eldest Brother (Jesus) was advocating for her.

The darkness and brokenness that surrounds us is not God’s best for us. God Himself is the goodness He longs to give us. He is the best Father—who cares about the brokenness in our lives. He is the best Brother—who shines brightly to destroy the darkness—not to expand it.

Home can be a difficult place at times, can’t it? Especially if you’re coming home to a mess that you have made. Like Jacob coming home 20 years after he left his family in the middle of a mess of his making—lying to his father, cheating and stealing his brother’s blessing…and then running away to avoid revenge.

Now 20 years later, God gave Jacob 2 things to help him make the difficult decision to make the difficult journey home—an aggravating father-in-law, and a promise. But he still had no idea what would happen when he got there. He hadn’t heard from his family this entire time he’s been gone.

It’s unfortunate that in this life, home is not always a safe place. Thank God that our Heavenly Home will be one of eternal safety and security, free from strife and stress. But as for Jacob in Genesis 32, we see the stress play out as he leads his family and pleads with his God—then a thrilling reunion with his brother in Genesis 33.

If you are wondering why God is not speaking to you now, it might be that you are right where He wants you to be.

God spoke to Jacob when he was not where God wanted him to be and when it was time for him to move—there is nothing recorded in-between those times.

Think of it this way…children might ask their mother if they can play outside. “Yes,” the mother would say, “but only where I can see you in the yard.” When the children would go outside to play, the mother would have not reason to speak to them unless they were moving in a direction that she does not want them to go—like in the street. Then she would speak to them and call them back to the yard.

If you have a hard time hearing God lately, it may be that He has not been speaking. It may have nothing to do with you or your sin. It may just be that you are exactly where He wants you to be.