(Gen. 40:1-4) No one is above being a servant, and no one is below being served. Much like Jesus, Joseph was a servant leader who served even the least of the people around him. In a prison ward, acts of service probably included menial and perhaps even demeaning tasks. Joseph could have easily lost himself in the misery of his circumstances, but instead he rose to meet his everyday responsibilities with diligence and faith in God. He entrusted his future into God's hands by faithfully serving those around him in his present circumstances.

(Gen. 38-39) God greatly rewards Joseph's faithfulness. Joseph's brother Judah experiences an embarrassing predicament rather than the favor of God due to his unfaithfulness. God promises a way of escape for every temptation. He is always faithful to us. He deserves our loyalty in return. Because Joseph had his heart set on God, he was not easily influenced by the unfaithful people around him.

What do you do when your circumstances give you a lot of unanswered questions? The life of Joseph presents many parallels to the life of Christ. Joseph was hated and betrayed by his brothers. Jesus was hated by the Jewish religious leaders and betrayed by one of His own disciples. Before Egypt, Israel lived like a stranger in the land that was promised to Abraham's seed. Jesus was an outcast in His own hometown. Do we respond to suffering in a way that allows God's love to be seen in us? Do we remain useful to His purposes no matter our circumstances? Joseph did. And so did Jesus.

(Gen. 35:16-29) Jacob's beloved wife Rachel died fairly young. Many believe his father Isaac lived 5 times as long as she did. But at the end of the day, when they died, they were both gone just the same. It's sobering to think about how short this earthly life is compared to eternity (no matter how long or short your life ends up being). Remember that it isn't the length of a life that makes it significant. It's who you are and what you do with your life that really matters. 

(Gen. 34-35:15) Jacob was headed back to Bethel, but he decided to camp out near the city of Shalem for awhile. It was here that a respected prince took Jacob's daughter and tried to negotiate marriage arrangements. Two of Jacob's sons had different ideas and wiped out the entire city after some trickery. Now Jacob began to fear the surrounding Canaanites and Perizzites. Wouldn't they come after him if they viewed him as a threat to their land? God steps in with a remedy in Genesis 35:1-5. 

(Gen. 31-33) Even though Jacob was making his way back to back to the place where he had first met God, he and his family were carrying hidden idols with them. Jacob was afraid of his brother Esau, who was coming out to meet him. He was willing to call upon God for deliverance, but was still partially dependent upon his own efforts to save himself. This tendency toward self-preservation and taking matters into his own hands led him to a lot of unnecessary turmoil and in one case even a physical injury that would affect him for the rest of his life.

(Gen. 25-31:18) It is always significant when God chooses to meet with us and to speak to us. I refuse to believe any life is insignificant when Someone so significant made life and cares so deeply about it. The fact that we have a record of God personally meeting with or speaking to the specific requests of Rebekah, Isaac, Jacob, Leah, and Rachel - five different people in several different situations and seasons of life within these five and a half chapters of Genesis - makes clear that God really does see the details and private struggles in our lives. He has a desire to meet our needs and to communicate with us through tough times. Whether we have questions about the future of our children like Rebekah had, or we feel a lack of wisdom for where to turn in uncertain times like Isaac during yet another famine; God is with us. He cares, and He is there to help.  We have an abundant resource of care and wisdom available to us each and every day. Let's never downplay the significance of God's daily presence in our lives.

(Gen. 22-24) Prayer was an essential part of Isaac and Rebekah's love story. It is also an essential part of our relationship with God under any circumstances. I like the picture of Abraham lifting up his eyes to see the Ram caught in the thicket - the answer to his silent prayer that God would somehow spare his son. I also like the picture of Abraham's servant running to meet Rebekah to see if she was the answer to his prayer when he went to seek a wife for Isaac. God was more than willing and able to make the journeys of these faithful men prosperous. When God answers our prayers, may we be eagerly waiting for those answers, ready to embrace the perfect solution God sends our way. Ultimately, it is more of Christ that we need most of all. Tradition says that the Mount Isaac was nearly sacrificed on is the same one we call Calvary. Jehovah-Jireh has already given us the greatest Solution we will ever need in life. Let's not hesitate to ask and to look for His help in all areas of life.

(Gen. 21) Water is necessary to life and therefore precious. Spiritual water is precious too. When you find yourself in a spiritual wilderness, cry out to God like Hagar did. He already sees you. He'll open your eyes to a new perspective of the same old Source of life, a pure, clean Well of Living Water... for you and for those in need around you. God wants you to be a vessel of refreshment and healing to the people in your life today. Let Him continually open your eyes with His Word so you can be filled and refreshed, and then pass the blessing along to someone else.