Key Text: Genesis 37
Supporting Texts: Genesis 39-41; Genesis 50
Last week we explored Joseph’s transition from being an average carpenter to his full immersion into his highest calling – the responsibility to be Jesus’ earthly father. He rose to the challenge when he had confirmation from God through an angel and was faithful. It would be easy if all direction from God was as transparent as Joseph’s, even though his new life was evidently accompanied by significant challenges. On the contrary, sometimes our calling is not as obvious, but God nonetheless prepares us in unique ways and helps us to transition in His time.
When I was a child, my only understanding of the term ‘load shedding’ was that it was always a time that we dreaded; the power company limited our power supply to ensure that equipment was not overwhelmed to face the daily demands of everyone; businesses and residential properties, rich, poor, old, young, city dwellers, rural residents and those who lived in the suburbs like my family. I interpreted load shedding then as somewhat of an irritant, as of course, our television would not work without electricity. I preferred being able to watch ‘Power Rangers,’ ‘Tom and Jerry’ ‘Family Matters,’ ‘Sister Sister’ or other favourites when I wanted to. Load shedding was an inconvenience! Since I grew up without a personal mobile phone or other personal device, the television was more of a treasure to my brothers and I when we had leisure time and were not playing in the sunny outdoors that is typical of the beautiful tropics.
In recent years, I have also perceived load shedding metaphorically as God’s removal of situations, burdens and indeed people, who have become a hindrance to our growth or progress towards our destiny. Whether it relates to controlling the demand for electricity or God’s divine control of our circumstances, load shedding is not necessarily welcomed as we are addicted to comforts, but it is ironically, a great catalyst! I have noted several instances in my life and in the lives of others when God allowed tension (drama!), changes in location or other circumstances to expose and/or remove anything that amounted to a load that needed to be shed before next steps were revealed or any growth in our walk with Him transpired. The Cambridge dictionary defines a load in varied ways: it may refer to the amount of work to be done by a person, weight being carried or a painful, difficult or tiring situation. Either way, regardless of the nature of our individual loads, they may be contradictory combinations of blessings and burdens, which if not shed, may be a hindrance to our purpose.
This seems to be a harsh stance – I know, but let’s examine what this meant for Joseph in the Old Testament. He had lost his mother and was one of two treasured sons of his father Jacob. Joseph was loved by his father but deeply resented by the majority of his brothers. Nonetheless, God had purposed to use him to bless his people in challenging times before he was even aware of it. Though Joseph’s dreams in his teens implied that he would become great, it was unclear how this would happen unlike Joseph’s story in Matthew 2, but through a horrifying experience, God caused Him to transition from close proximity to his familiar environment, to his personalised training ground for leadership.
Joseph’s complex leadership training began with a malicious, spiteful plot against his life by those who should have loved him. On first glance, his story engenders much empathy for him and anger at his brothers, but when perceived through a different lens, their betrayal, competition and bitterness positioned him to accomplish God’s purpose. Though it is absolutely important to have the support of family such as Joseph’s father was to him, in his case, mere proximity to them (especially his brothers), was a load or limitation that needed to be shed for him to embark on his unique leadership training. Joseph realised this and in Chapter 50, he confidently declared that his brothers meant to harm him but God used it for good! It is because he was violently stripped of the load of a limiting environment and equally limiting circumstances (a cycle of being rejected by his brothers and prompted about his future but making no progress towards it), why Joseph’s purpose was realised. If he had not been thrown into the pit, the Midianite traders would not have rescued him and sold him to the Ishmaelites. If he had not been sold into slavery in this manner, he would not have arrived in Egypt; this is not the type of migration or travel we dream of, but he was transported, albeit against his will, to a land that would be essential to later save God’s people. If Joseph had not been in Egypt, he would not have bought by Pharoah’s captain Potiphar. If Potiphar had not realised that God was with Joseph, he would not have been made overseer of his household (leadership training). If Joseph had not been in this role, he would not have had the chance to exercise integrity as he did by resisting Potiphar’s wife (signs of a great leader!). If he had not been wrongly accused by the said Potiphar’s wife, Joseph would not have been thrown into prison. Without this prison the next leadership opportunity would not have arisen; though he was bound and the overarching predicament instigated by his brothers continued, God’s favour remained with Joseph and outlasted any plots against him.
The lead prison guard who was meant to be supervising Joseph gave him authority over all the prisoners (leadership training). Joseph was broken and undoubtedly missed his freedom, homeland and loving father, but he was being matured by God and prepared for ministry in his role, and his gifts encouraged others to trust his character. If he had not been in the prison, he would not have met the the butler and butcher from Pharoah’s household. If he had not met them and interpreted their dreams, the butler (albeit two years later!) would not have remembered him to recommend him to Pharoah when he needed interpretations for his strange dreams. If the Pharoah had not met Joseph in this way, had his dreams interpreted and discerned the authority and favour on Joseph’s life, he would not have promoted him to be the most powerful man next to the king.
If Joseph remained in Canaan, perhaps he would have been stuck in the cycle of his normal life. Yes, that included his father’s love, but lacked the opportunities for growth that he was granted in the season before his ascension. Joseph had leadership training, but was also growing internally; he must have learned to forgive in those twenty years that he was away from his family, as he was not spiteful towards his brothers despite being in a position to do such. Though Joseph struggled initially when he saw them after long years, God’s love was evident in his actions. Joseph was reunited with his father and brothers and lived until he was 110 years old. The relationships which, in his youth were a load, were shed, and at the right time, restored. Throughout scripture, God often builds the character, resilience and testimony of those called to do great things with His help and for His glory.
From Joseph’s story, let’s learn a few truths:
1.God knows what to remove from our lives and when to do so, and in all things, is always working for our good and His purpose in our lives (Romans 8: 28; John 5: 17). Trust Him when He allows things that can be shaken to be shaken – He will preserve what is needed for your future, and use you in unique ways for His glory.
2. Load shedding on God’s timetable may be violent and harsh like it was for Joseph, though he had done no wrong. It may be equally painful if God gives us opportunities to change and we ignore Him for a long time – He is a loving God, but indeed so loving that those whom He has called will not be allowed to indefinitely live in a way that is contrary to His will. Sometimes, prayers have been spoken over our lives by parents, grandparents and others which we are unaware of and these prayers, at some point, will trigger transitional periods. No amount of living for ourselves, ‘living it up’, ‘turning up’ and ignoring the call on our lives will deter God’s plans! Saul murdered Christians but later transitioned to be one of God’s leading men (Acts 9: 1-19) after God helped him to shed the load of hate and bitterness that he once treasured in his heart. Again, through scripture there is evidence of God’s supernatural load shedding in lives which He transforms and enables to do great things for Him. If He is calling you to salvation, don’t ignore Him – surrender your life to him. If you have already surrendered but are struggling, recommit your life to Him and allow Him to use your life as billboard for His goodness.
3. Transition may be both external/physical or internal/spiritual like it was for Joseph, and these changes may be simultaneous. God may not dramatically shift you from one place to another, but He may allow circumstances to develop your character where you are.
4. Transition requires preparation of which we are often unaware. We can trust God’s omniscience though – He knows what we need and will order our steps, even when they steps are painful.
If you sense you are in a transition, I pray that like Joseph, God will grant you the grace to grow through it and become the version of you that He desires to see. Transitions may be difficult, but like Joseph, continue to revere God even when He allows unprecedented and questionable suffering. He is building your character to be more like Him, and could also be preparing you for greatness which will glorify Him. Joseph wanted his freedom from prison – not recognition for his gift, and in his obedience and use of his gift, God promoted Him. Trust the process and be grateful that if you are being processed, God has plans for you. Like Joseph, recognise that your gifts are for God’s glory – not yours. God cannot use you for His glory if like Joseph’s brothers, you are desirous of a spotlight and are competitive – He wants all glory!
5. If God has given you a gift and His favour on your life is evident, ironically, everyone will not rejoice with or for you. It is disturbing that Joseph’s own immediate family, could not be happy about his gift. Instead of celebrating the implication of his dreams (it had not even been realised yet!), all they could think about was themselves, envy, maliciousness and their clamour for the spotlight. Joseph’s brothers hated him more when they discovered his dreams, and perhaps the fact that the conspirers were all out (with an instruction to work) while he was with his father, implies that the segregation and hate was likely to have already been evident. Like him, we may face enemies who abuse their access to us, including those who blatantly smile with us while conjuring ways to fight against our purpose; this is even more disturbing when, like Joseph, it comes from people with the same heavenly (or indeed earthly) father. This is quite a sad reality, but I pray for growth in your discernment and abiity to remain steadfast regardless of opposition. We must persist in our calling despite any angst or jealousy from others. As I spoke at the launch of Blots Flaws and Revelations, shared my writing journey and encouraged others to pursue writing (if prompted by God and/or gifted or called to do so), I was mindful to caution future (especially Christian writers), that opposition from the enemy should be expected. I had learned that during the process. In the same breath, despite any opposition designed to distract us from our calling (it cannot prevent us!), we should rest assured that God protects us and our purpose; He will not allow the enemy to defeat us. As I mentioned in devotional entry 20 in my autobiography (and indeed in other entries), the ultimate enemy of our souls is defeated (Revelation 20). The entire season since I got serious about publishing my has been filled with blessings (learning more about God and growing always is!), alongside opposition from various angles in almost every area of my life. Nonetheless, God helps me daily, and nothing will separate me from His love or His purpose for me (Romans 8: 38-39). He will do the same for you or anyone with a (genuine) call on their life from Him, and enable you to experience moments of calm which energise you for the journey (Proverbs 14: 30).
Joseph did not retaliate, nor did he even see vindication, and their spitefulness could have caused him to be bitter. However, God’s will prevailed in his heart – despite the opposition, he remained faithful. Genesis 39 depicts Judah’s fate, though God kept him alive and used Joseph’s kindness to reflect His glory; it was Judah’s idea to throw Joseph into the pit. We can learn from this that God sees all wrongs done to us and we can leave vengeance to Him, though it seems at times that he allows wickedness to prevail. Joseph’s leadership training was both physical and emotional; I do not doubt that from their betrayal, he was better at discerning character -a skill which would have been essential in his role in Egypt. Some lessons and testimonies are only developed in challenging times. Joseph matured in the aftermath of their wicked acts,was faithful to God and received a promotion because he was at that point, mature enough to handle it after a prolonged season of growth incited by (divine) load shedding experiences. God can do the same for you, but remember, load shedding may not seem like a blessing initially – it may seem like utter destruction. I pray you will have the courage to endure and be gracious to those who seek to oppose you. My mother would say: ‘Tell them your good hello.’ It may confound them to realise that they are not enough to break you! Focus on your responsibility to God and your calling – they are mere distractions which God will handle in His time. and even use you to later be a blessing to them as he did with
Like Joseph’s, your periods of transition may be challenging, but if all you can muster today is a line, a minute or five minutes, talk to God today – He controls your transitions whether they are current or planned for the future, and He understands your concerns in the process. You may not be transitioning now or even feel that you will eventually, but growth is often inevitable; you will either be compelled to shed some loads to transition now or in the future, whether this is in the form of attitudes, physical locations, careers, misinformed mind-sets (even religious ones!), relationships or habits. Transitions are often essential to fulfil your calling, and God is not intimidated by the level of work and load shedding required to help you to evolve.
Heartfelt prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for having a relationship with me. This season of transition is painful, strange and uncertain and has been causing me a great deal of anxiety. Thank You that I can tell You everything without fearing that You will condemn me. Please help me when I struggle to endure transitions and lead me to the path You have chosen for me. Please help me when I struggle to voluntarily shed the load that hinders my growth and enable me to develop the character necessary for my calling. Draw near to those who seek my hurt, and enable them to get to know you closely. I ask these mercies in Jesus’ name. Amen.
