(Gen. 39:1-2) “And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither. And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.” No matter what the particular circumstance is that we find ourselves in, we can be sure as Joseph was, that “The Lord will not leave us nor forsake us” ( Heb. 13:5). 1) Circumstances change quickly. One day Joseph was happy and free and the next day he was physically taken away from the only family he knew, betrayed by his brothers, kidnapped, sold into slavery, and enslaved in a far-away place. Oh, how quickly life can change with the next phone call, piece of mail, visit to the doctor, ride in the car, or even at work with the loss of a job. Circumstances change quickly in life but thank God as Christians we know that God has allowed the circumstance for His purpose, and His glory. For (Rom. 8:28) says, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” 2) Character is strengthened through adversity. You don’t read of Joseph complaining in this story, or even fighting back, but rather we see Joseph submitting to the will of God and those he served, and because he did “The Lord was with Joseph.” Joseph saw God’s blessing because his faith endured each test. Joseph learned that adversity was not meant to destroy but rather build our faith!
“Matt. 6:13) “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.” The above verse is the ending words of Jesus’s example on of how to pray. In the Lord’s prayer we are first taught to honor and glorify the Father and His Holy Name or (His Person). Then we are commanded to seek His will or (His Purpose) in life. After which, Jesus taught us to (Petition) him for our needs or “ daily bread,” as well as “forgiveness” and “deliverance from evil” when tested, but there is also another aspect of this prayer that most people miss; and that is (His Praise). You see the temptation to do sin or “evil” is as much a part of our daily life as breathing. We are tempted daily to lust, lie, steal, gossip, cheat, become jealous, hate, etc., so we need not just the forgiveness of God, but also His power in faith. Brethren, we have someone in heaven who knows the feel of temptation in the flesh, and his name is Jesu
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