Patient and Positive
Adapted from Daily Devotions from Psalms - by Joyce Meyer
And he sent a man before them—Joseph, sold as a slave. They bruised his feet with shackles, his neck was put in irons, till what he foretold came to pass, till the word of the Lord proved him true.
Today’s scripture reminds us of Joseph and the unjust treatment he received from his brothers. They sold him into slavery and told his father that a wild animal had killed him. Meanwhile, a wealthy man named Potiphar purchased Joseph and took him into his home as a slave. God gave Joseph favor everywhere he went, and soon he found favor with his new master.
Joseph kept getting promoted, but then he ended up being falsely accused of having an affair with his boss’s wife and ended up in prison.
Joseph tried to help others the entire time he was in prison. He did not complain, but he was patient and had a positive attitude in his suffering, and God eventually delivered him and promoted him to the point where no one else in Egypt had more authority than Joseph, except Pharaoh himself.
God also vindicated Joseph with his brothers, and he displayed a godly attitude by refusing to mistreat them, even though they deserved it. He said that what they had meant for his harm, God had worked out for his good—that they were in God’s hands, not his, and that he had no right to do anything but bless them (Genesis 37–45). We can expect similar results when we stay patient through suffering and keep a positive, forgiving attitude.
Prayer of the Day: Lord, when I go through times of suffering or difficulty, help me stay patient and positive and be willing to forgive those who have treated me wrongly.
