Joseph: A Picture of Remaining True

It starts from birth. Children start out tender and sensitive to their environments.

⁴And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.

A parent’s affection or lack of affection begins the building blocks of their foundation. When parents show favoritism to one child more than others it sets up an ungodly competition and causes discord between siblings. Every child should feel loved by their parents, even when they make poor choices and/or behave in ways not pleasing.
At our spiritual birth, we are hated like Joseph was, because of God’s love and favor towards us. Satan, once the anointed cherub (Ezekiel 28:12-15), hates us because we have becomes God’s heirs to the throne, the place he wanted to be, and the reason he was kicked out of heaven. And because he hates us, he continually seeks to make us stumble and fail at pleasing God so he can accuse and shame us before God as he has been shamed. The Story of Job is our picture of this truth.

Don’t expect everyone to rejoice in God’s plan for you.

Genesis 37:8 (KJV)

⁸And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.

God has a plan for every Believer’s life. There are ones common to all of us such as “to love the Lord they God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul and with all thy mind (Matthew 22:37), and to ‘go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost (Matthew 28:19-20).
Your service gifts are specific to you and how God has shaped you to be. Not everyone will be able to accept God’s vision for how He is using you to serve. So, don’t let other’s ridicule or rejection of sharing Christ and serving Christ affect you in a negative way.
Jesus was hated for proclaiming himself as the Messiah and saying he was sent by God the Father to do the will of His Father, even though it was true. Don’t expect to get a pass on being/doing what God is shaping you for, because Jesus didn’t, and he was Messiah (John 10:30-32).
Don’t feel bad when people reject the truth you speak from God’s Word. They have been blinded, and only God can remove the cover from their eyes. It’s our job to provide the torch that is lit by the power of God’s Spirit within us.

Lessons on our character, resisting temptation, unfairness, patience and God’s faithfulness.

Genesis 39

1-5 – (v2) the Lord was with him; the Lord made him prosperous (v3, 23; it is God who gives us power to get wealth – Deuteronomy 8:18– But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.; Psalm 1:3–And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.);
6b) He was a goodly person (He practiced living right… Proverbs 16:7 – When a man’s ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.)
7 – He was tempted to sin;… 1 Corinthians 10:13 – There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
8 – He refused to sin;… – 1 Peter 5:8 – Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
9c – He shows discretion …how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? [Discreet: Prudent; wise in avoiding errors or evil and in selecting the best means to accomplish a purpose; circumspect; cautious; wary; not rash] (also, Genesis 41:33, 39; Mark 12:34 – And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.)
10 – He resisted the temptation (hearkened not unto her) (James 4:7– Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.)
11 – He didn’t avoid the temptation – (Proverbs 4:14-16 – 14 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. 15 Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away. 16 For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.)
12 – Yet, he was delivered (And she caught him by his garment, … and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out. [God will deliver us: 2 Peter 2:9 – The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:]

[Eternal security is found “in Christ” and, there is a plan already in place to guide you to that road: Romans 3:23, 6:23, 5:12, 10:9; 1 John 1:9]