But as for you, ye thought (intended) evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive – Genesis 50:20.

The experiences in Joseph’s life taught him that God brings good from evil for those who trust Him. 

Many look at ministers and sometimes desire to be like them, but what they don’t realize is the struggles the person faced to receive the anointing that’s upon their life to minister to others. Joseph was the eleventh son of Jacob, the first son of Rachel, and was his father’s favorite. God revealed Himself to Joseph in dreams, dreams that eventually made his brothers hate him, along with the coat of many colors his father Jacob had given him. Their anger only increased when Joseph had dreams that suggested that they would one day be subservient to him.

When Jacob sent Joseph to check on his brothers as they cared for the herds, they plotted to kill him, but only Reuben’s plea persuaded the others to spare Joseph’s life. They stripped him of his coat, threw him into a dry cistern, and then sold him to passing traders who were Ishmaelites. The brothers covered up Joseph’s disappearance by dipping his coat in goat’s blood and bringing it to his father, saying they had found the coat and inquiring if he knew if it was Joseph’s coat.

Joseph was called and ordained by God, but it didn’t make him exempt from problems and heartaches. Joseph was in the wilderness. A wilderness is a dry place, a place where you can’t feel the presence of God, no matter how much you have prayed, fasted, and confessed.  The wilderness is a place of silence; the Teacher is giving a test.

It’s a place where you begin to ask yourself, “What have I done?”, Is this the will of God in my life”? Because it’s an uncomfortable place, we get weary on the journey in the wilderness. When God allows us to go into a wilderness, it’s for our spiritual growth, for our faith to be strengthened, and for us to get to know and trust the God we serve.

Joseph was sold to the Ishmaelites, and they sold him in Egypt to Potiphar. God gave Joseph favor with Potiphar. Potiphar made Joseph overseer of his house and all that he had. After being there for a while, Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce Joseph. Daily, she was after him, but he wouldn’t give in to her because of his love for God and his faithfulness to his master.

One day, when Joseph went to do his work, the men were out. Potiphar’s wife tried again to seduce him, this time by pulling him so close to her that he had to run. When he ran, he left his garment in her hands. She took his garment and called for the men of the house and accused Joseph of trying to rape her.  When sin comes to influence us, we must resist it, even if it means we have to run from it.

When the news got to Potiphar, he was angry and he placed Joseph in prison. Joseph could have blamed God, he could have stopped having faith in God, he could have backslidden, he could have questioned God why he was going through what he was going through, and he was serving Him with all his heart, but he didn’t. Joseph took the opportunity of his confinement to witness to those in prison, and because of this, God gave him favor with the guards.

When going through trials, tribulations, or whatever the problem may be, it’s not the time to stop ministering to the unbeliever; it’s not the time to stop praying, fasting, or showing love towards others. It’s not the time to stop working for the Lord, but to intensify your work for Him and let Satan know by your works that he can’t stop the plan of God for your life, nor can he stop your faith towards God.

In prison, there was a butler and baker who had a dream. Joseph interpreted the dream, and the dream came to pass as he said it would. The butler was restored to his position with Pharaoh, and the baker’s head was taken. Joseph asked the butler to remember him when he returned to his position, but the butler forgot him. How many times have you fasted, prayed, and encouraged people, and when you need them to pray or their encouragement, they forget about you? Don’t get upset, don’t have unforgiveness; keep praying, God will send the help you need at the appointed time.

Pharaoh had a dream that the wise men and magicians couldn’t interpret, then the butler remembered Joseph and told Pharaoh about Joseph. Pharaoh called for Joseph to interpret the dream, and he honored God and not himself by saying  (And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying. It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace – Genesis 41:16). God gave Joseph the interpretation of the dream, and Pharaoh made him ruler over Egypt. Joseph’s faithfulness to God earned him a promotion; he passed the test and trials he was going through to reach his destiny, enabling him to protect and provide for his family during the famine.

Every spiritual promotion comes with a wilderness. If we survive the wilderness, the anointing and the promotion will come from God. We will be in a spiritual position to not only help our families but also lead others to the kingdom of God, feeding them the Word of God until Christ is formed in them. Every Christian will go through the wilderness; it’s a place no one desires to be, but if we want what God has for us, we must face the wilderness with faith in God and not what we see, hear, or feel.

In the wilderness, you will be tempted by Satan with fear, anxiety, and anger, while in the wilderness, you must fight spiritually to come out of your wilderness. Allow the Word of God to be your shield; it will protect and guide you in the wilderness. It’s not over, God is just creating you more in the image of Him and His Son!