Success is trusting God’s presence
The Lord was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master. Potiphar noticed this and realized that the Lord was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did. This pleased Potiphar, so he soon made Joseph his personal attendant. He put him in charge of his entire household and everything he owned. From the day Joseph was put in charge of his master’s household and property, the Lord began to bless Potiphar’s household for Joseph’s sake. All his household affairs ran smoothly, and his crops and livestock flourished. Genesis 39:2-5
Joseph was described as successful from the text. His life was filled with sufferings and heartaches when he was sold into slavery in Egypt. He could have been bitter and have forsaken his faith in God yet he remained faithful. God rewarded his faithfulness by promoting him by taking charge of Potiphar’s property. It was his trust and dependence in God that made him reliable in the work he does. Later on, he was thrown into prison because he will not give in to temptation when Potiphar’s wife seduced him (see Genesis 39:19-20). Yet, Joseph remained faithful to God that while imprisoned, he trusted God’s presence. “But the Lord was with Joseph in the prison and showed him his faithful love. And the Lord made Joseph a favorite with the prison warden” (v. 21). Success in life is what people in this world are trying to pursue. But few are able to define what success is. Joseph in the midst of his sufferings and demotions in life was successful because God was with him. What most people pursue is to become known to others as the measure of success. Yet, the Bible described Joseph as successful because he is known by God and he knows God. He did not allow himself to be overcome with despair when life did not treat him well. He trusted God that what is happening in his life is with a purpose. “But don’t be upset, and don’t be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives... God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors. So it was God who sent me here, not you! And he is the one who made me an adviser[b] to Pharaoh—the manager of his entire palace and the governor of all Egypt” (Genesis 45:5, 8). Do you see God’s purpose even when it seemed that your world is falling apart? Will you prefer to experience God’s presence rather than the praise of men? If your measure of success is getting known because of your achievements, you will have the tendency to get despair when things are not working well in your life. You will appreciate more success when you know you have overcome because you relied in the presence of God.
Blessings.