MARCH 9-15: A PLAN FOR ME
Come Follow Me “The Lord Was with Joseph” Genesis 37-41
As we are now in the story of Joseph, I shall refer you to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”. Nothing further needed. End Post. Look it up and enjoy!
If you’re in Utah you might understand that we have a fetish with this musical. We love to play with it in many ways on stage, and I’ve seen a few fun renditions. I particularly enjoyed Hale Center Theater Orem’s Youth performance in 2024 which included cell phone social memes, Taylor Swift (a queenly lookalike), a prized Stanley Cup, and eleven entertaining brothers you’d wanna take home with you, all on a stage the size of your living room. (The theater has since upgraded to The Ruth Theater in Pleasant Grove, Utah)
But others of us have things to say about this story, too, for it’s loaded with meaning.
One big lesson from this story, is that good people have to go through tough stuff. So how, as we are going through hard things, are we supposed to feel the Lord with us?
Let’s start by not letting go of our faith that God remains with us, that he has a plan for us, and somehow our difficulties is part of that plan. This is well illustrated in another good musical.
You Know Better Than I - (Joseph King of Dreams)
Then comes times of temptation. You might be well acquainted with some, as I am. How do we get through those times when we feel weakest, wanting to grab onto something that offers brief relief, only to make us more vulnerable in the long run?
Active Christianity offers the advice: to decide long before you’re faced in the moment to decide. ‘With God’s power and a firm decided mind, you the joy of victory will surely find.’
A Decided Mind - ActiveChristianity
Country Gospel Revival assures that ‘When the darkness tries to claim my soul, whispers of doubt pulling me down below; I lift my eyes to the cross, to my Savior’s life. In His name I’ll stand and I’ll fight.’
Rebuke the Devil - Country Gospel Revival
Potiphar is an interesting anti-hero. He put all his trust in Joseph, trusted him with his whole household and all his wealth, therefore Joseph must have proven to be trustworthy. When his wife threw accusations that Joseph had been the one to make advances toward her, did Potiphar have the same trust in her to believe her? I’ve heard it suggested that palace servants would have known her character, as would her husband. Yet even if he knew she was lying, and possibly unfaithful, he had to stand by her - preserve her integrity over a servant’s. So Joseph paid the unfortunate price of being sent to prison.
All part of a bigger plan. Can we, like Joseph, stay true with God when we are thrown under the bus by another, paying for mistakes that were not ours?
Let us also be assured that God’s plan for us isn’t contrary to our own plans. He honors what we want. He wants to help us achieve the best part of our own desires. ‘Every effort I make He makes greater, for when He is with me I’m strong.’
God Will Prepare a Way - Shawna Edwards Music
Don’t lose faith or hope, for even when things look hopeless and desperate, God is with us, is walking with us on the path through.