The Diligent and Faithful was Rewarded

Joseph was 30 years old when he entered the service of a pharaoh king of Egypt. Joseph left Pharoah's presence and travelled throughout the land of Egypt.

During the seven years of abundance the land produced outstanding harvests. Joseph gathered all the excess food in the land of Egypt during the seven years and put it in the cities. He put food in every city from the fields around it. So Joseph stored grain in such abundance- like the sand of the sea- that he stopped measuring it because it was beyond measure.

Two sons were born to Joseph before the years of famine arrived. Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest at On, bore them to him. Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, meaning, "God has made me forget all my hardship in my father's house." And the second son he named he named Ephraim, meaning, "Godhas made me fruitful in the land of my affliction."

Then the seven years of abundance in the land of Egyot came to an end, and seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. Genesis 41:46-54

Joseph was born for such a time as this. He was a part of God's plan.

The hardship in his father's house was not only what he personally experienced but what he saw: rape, murder, incest, deception and betrayal.

The blessing he received in Egpyt after 10 years in prison were honour, stature, respect.

Joseph was the key in drawing his father's house into Egypt where they would live for hundreds of years, the first years in prosperity and four hundred years as slaves.

Joseph was diligent and faithful, this is what made room for him, not the fact that he was a Hebrew. His brothers Judah and Levi  through who priests and kings would come were unfaithful and ungodly. Joseph was clean, humble and faithful.

God is looking for diligent and faithful people to be His hands and feet. Just going to church is not enough. He must be Lord of our character, our behaviour, our ethics, Lord of all. Amen!