Read: Genesis 39:20-23
We will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit. (Gal. 6:9 MSG)
The exhortation Paul gave us in Galatians 6 to persevere is illustrated perhaps more dramatically in the life of Joseph than in any other Biblical account. Perhaps we’ve passed by the story like a washed-out billboard along the freeway, a little frayed, its technicolor faded, and we simply stop looking. But just when I think I know Joseph, I look again and see something new.
Joseph went from having dreams, to broken dreams, to interpreting dreams, to living the dream, unable to stop unfolding events from rushing him downstream like a twig in a river. From the naive pride of his youth, which increased his brothers’ jealous hatred and prompted them to sell him into slavery in Egypt, to his meteoric rise within Potiphar’s house and the slanderous accusations that left him imprisoned and forgotten for years, Joseph never allowed bitterness to trap him permanently. He somehow kept hoping, kept doing what was right before God, kept learning and growing without becoming jaded (that mentality from which I often suffer). In short, Joseph didn’t fatigue in doing good, in continuing to plant even if the field was rocky and the weather predicted drought.
In the end, a perfect opportunity for revenge presented itself, yet Joseph realized that without the evil done to him, the good that God grew in rocky, dry soil could never have come to fruition. In due season we will have a harvest, too, if we don’t give up or quit. —Amy Clemens
As you pray, ask God for perseverance.
About the Author
With a bachelors in journalism from Texas Tech University and a masters from Western Theological Seminary, Amy Clemens enjoys all things writing, particularly about the life of faith. She is blessed with a family that includes husband Fred, five children, and five grandchildren.
Amy has just published her first book, "Walking When You'd Rather Fly: Meditations on Faith After the Fall," which weaves her journey from childhood abuse toward healing and spiritual growth with a practical theology for the big story of God. You can find out more about the book and author at walkingwhenyoudratherfly.com.
