We put the fun in dysfunctional. We’re probably a lot like you in that we have struggled in coming to understand why God created us and then placed us in such crazy mixed up families. Can I get a witness? The good news this morning is that we are not alone. Throughout the ages, people have struggled with question, where is God in my family situation. The bible offers plenty of interesting stories of dysfunctional family relationships but we are focusing on the story of Joseph in Genesis. Last week, we uncovered that God doesn’t remove the challenging family, friends and work situations, He works through them. This week we continue on with this story by looking for the answer to the question, where is God when life goes from bad to worse?
Life can be very hard depending on how we were raised and leave us wondering where God is in all this. There will be times when we will want to quit, run and hide. All of which is completely normal. However, let me assure you that these moments are also the place faith is demonstrated, growth is experienced and intimate relationships with the risen lord are formed. When all we have is God, we realize God is all we need.
Last week, we left Joe on his way to Egypt and his father Jacob mourning. He was sold into slavery by his loving brothers who thought they would never see him again. The next few chapters detail Joe’s wins and reversals, his relationship with Potiphar, his wife, the prison warden, the pharaoh’s cup bearer, the pharaoh’s baker, the pharaoh and even the priest’s daughter who would become his wife. He even experiences the blessing of two sons. It’s a rollercoaster of a life but Joe never seems to want to get off or even an escape. There is no running away from his dilemma. No weak efforts, not even an attempt to secret communications to the family, no Facebook request, no tweet, nothing, nada! He doesn’t even complain. For 13 years, he gets handed a whole lot of life including an unjust prison term. However, he never wavers. He continues to try to do his best every time. The repeated scripture says “and the Lord was with Joseph.”
Every time I have read those lines in the past, I’ve thought about God blessing of Joseph because of his being rejected and never thought about how could he have kept going? He was like some kind of human Weeble. Do you remember the Weeble? It was an object with a sphere base and you could push it over and it would always right itself? In a fit of curiosity I found that the bottom of a Weeble has a solid weight and when tipped one way or the other is just heavy enough to use gravity to pull itself right. It seems Joseph was some sort of a human Weeble. Nothing seemed to completely tip him over. In all the chaos of Joe’s life: one broken promise, two betrayals, several bursts of hatred, two abductions, more than one attempted seduction, ten jealous brothers, poor parenting, abuse, unjust imprisonment, and over 2 years of prison food. So what’s the difference between Joseph and so many of us?
What kept him going? Have you ever thought of what you would have done in his position? Could you have kept going? The scripture “And the Lord was with Joseph” takes on more meaning when I contemplate it in these terms. Throughout his indentured life, Joseph never wavers to trust in the Lord. In each major segment he mentions the Lord. Even the Pharaoh notices it in verse 41:38. “Can we find such one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?” The question for some of this morning I would suspect, is the God of Joseph still in charge today? It’s easy to say yes when things are good and even when terrible tragedies have seemingly understandable causes. However, what about when life’s curves are explainable? When God shatters our expectations?
Because there are moments we won’t fully understand?
I’ll never forget my first hospital chaplaincy call. I was awakened to the pager at 3am and a nurse who told me the patient had less than hour to live. As I rode the elevator, I prayed for the spirit of the Lord and the right words for the family. As I walked into the room, there were about 20 people sitting around this room. The patient was directly in front of me. He was about my age. On the floor holding his hand was his wife. I announced as I entered the room, “Hello my name is Chaplain Bob, Is there anything I can do?” to which the woman on the floor said, “Yes. Can you tell me why God is trying to kill my husband?” I stood dumbfounded like a deer in the headlights. I then responded, “I don’t know have an answer to that question, but I do have a bible and I know how to pray and at times like these, I find very helpful to do both. Would you like me too?” She responded affirmatively. The rest of the evening was blur for us all.
Joshua 1:5 states, “No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
As I reflect on that night, I realize we all encounter moments in this life where we ask, “Is God good when the outcome is not?” The answer comes in the repeated scripture phrase “and the Lord was with Joseph.”
For the Lord is with us in all these moments. He knows what it’s like to see the inevitable outcome and pray for another way. He prayed to keep connected to the father when the world around him seemed hopelessly lost. He felt the tears of the sinful woman. He fed the hungry. He healed the sick. He endured a family with step brothers and a father who died young. He heard the snickers of those in charge. He stayed with the grieving. He didn’t recoil or run or retreat at the sight of pain - Just the opposite. He suffered, died and was buried only to rise again in fulfillment of the scriptures to offer each of us the gift of salvation. The cross is the symbol of a God who would humble himself for us. A plan for this world and us that still confounds some claiming it was seemingly senseless.
However, God owes us no more explanation. In fact, what makes us think we could understand it? We have such a limited perspective of what is taking place around us. The apostle Paul writes in 2 Cor 4:17, “Our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”
I love how Max Lucado put this recently, “suppose I invited you to experience the day of your dreams. 24 hours on an island paradise with your favorite people, food and activities. The only stipulation: One millisecond of discomfort. For reasons I choose not to explain, you will need to begin the day with the millisecond of distress. Would you accept my offer? I think I would. A split second is nothing compared to 24 hours. On God’s clock, you are in the middle of your millisecond. Compared to an eternity, what is 70, 80, 90 years? Its just a vapor. A snap of the finger compared to heaven. Your pain will not last forever, but you will. What is coming will make sense of what is happening now. Let God finish his work” and realize “the Lord was with Joseph” and he is still with us! The only question is will you believe in him enough to trust Him in the good and the bad times? Let’s pray.
www.communitycenter.life/rev-robert-butler-info
