Soup is on, blending the flavor of meat, vegetables and spices and creating a wonderful aroma.  I was thinking of beef noodle soup – but yielded to Carla’s desire to have another vegetable beef soup.

Mild day today in our neck of the woods, some sunshine peeking through the clouds to remind us it is still up there.

Cats are looking, longingly at the birds as they feed – once we put the fence up it is more difficult for the cats to sneak up on them, they just have to fly to the other side of the fence.

While never a part of our planned menu for the cats, the lack of live meat has meant a bit higher cat food cost – and that is okay as long as they continue to keep the mice far away.

Genesis 2:23-28 And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him;

²⁴ And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.

²⁵ And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt.

²⁶ And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood?

²⁷ Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content.

²⁸ Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.

Ever asked the question, ‘why me, Lord.  What did I do to deserve such a fate?’

Joseph had dreams and he told them to not only his brothers but to his father – they were not happy, because this young whelp was telling them that they would bow down to them.

As he sat in that pit, did he ask, God why me?  What did I do to deserve such treatment from my brothers?

Did he reflect on his dreams and think; I should have kept my mouth shut?

Did he wonder what was going to happen to him, no food, no water – perhaps he thought they were just giving him a hard time and that they would let him out in a short time.  After all, they were his brothers.

What did he think when he was taken out of the pit – but sold to Ishmeelites?  Did he whimper and cry?  Did he become angry and shout at his brothers?  Did he plead for the Ishmeelites not to take him?

What would you have done?

Would you think your world was over and you had no control over your fate?

Would you think of suicide, escape, attack or something else?

I would dare say we wouldn’t think that we would become a great ruler in the land of the captives, second only to the big boss himself.

God had something in mind for Joseph, he told him in his dreams.

Did Joseph think as he reflected on those dreams that God was going to somehow raise him up over his brothers and father and all would be well?

We can be relatively sure that God didn’t give him the how, nor the why, just the prophesy, in his dreams, that it would happen.

At any time Joseph could have given up on God.  He could have cursed Him, condemned His treatment of Him, turned to the gods of his capturers – as many both before him and after him have done - but did not.

He remained true to God and allowed God to work in his life.

We go through challenges and trials every day.  Some days we can feel overwhelmed with the burdens we carry; it would be easy to ask ‘Why me?’

Every single person on this earth goes through challenges of one kind or another.  Some will become stronger – searching inward to overcome those trials, but never turning to God; their strength is transient and in the end of little value.

Others will turn to God and say (it may take a while, even Christians can become disillusioned) “My life is yours.  Wherever you take me, I will go, I know that just as you helped others that have placed themselves in your hands and are safe, so will I be safe.”

There are many such stories in God’s Word.  Stories that show we are not alone in our life and as we remain true to God, He will use our experiences – good and bad – for His Glory and our benefit.

It isn’t easy, but turning our lives over to Him in tough situations will allow Him to demonstrate His immense love for us.

Tens of thousands of Christians around the world are being punished by their government and/or being persecuted by those that are being allowed by their government – every single day. 

Many of these are being killed in a violent way, while others are being incarcerated in torturous situations – it is easy to think that God is not in control of this world and their suffering is for naught.

While we do not understand all that is going on around us, we do know that God is calling His children to stand and be true to Him.  We may find, later, that through our suffering we have encouraged someone else to seek and find our Savior.

Only our God knows, and our responsibility is to have faith in Him.  We never know, maybe we will be the next Joseph.

Later, Art :-)