“Like Joseph, we find ourselves taken on compulsory journeys by God.”- Dr. Wayne Stiles
“Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, had bought Him from the Ishmaelites who had had brought him down there. The Lord was with Joseph . . .”- Genesis 39:1-2
Dr. Wayne Stiles concludes Chapter 2 of Waiting on God by noting that our compulsory journeys usually start, ironically, with unpacking. Props in our lives we substitute for reliance on God face mandatory removal. We enter a foreign world, where no one speaks our language. We know no one there- except God.
Especially relevant, our sovereign God never checks with us on our preferences. Therefore, we follow, discovering the path He lights one step at a time. Hence, our only choice involves how we opt to respond to His leading.
Genesis 39:2 tells us that “the Lord was with Joseph” as Joseph entered Egypt. Furthermore, Wayne explains, that truth applies to our lives as well:
“That truth extends beyond Joseph’s live to ours. God is with us. Often that truth is all we know. He is with us, not to answer questions but to comfort us as he takes us to a place that teaches us to trust him by forcing us to do so. We really learn no other way.”
At the onset of our ministry downsizing or vocation loss, opting for these strange gaps of God’s sovereignty finds itself listed at the bottom of our “To Do List”. However, in hindsight, we value God’s demonstration of His great love for us. In addition, we praise Him for His goodness and grace.
Today’s question: What unpacking occurred during your compulsory journey? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Godly solutions”
