The key to Success

I want to share something with you that I have been thinking about for a few days. It is something that has not really popped out at me previously, but it did when I read it a week ago.

² The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, serving in the household of his Egyptian master. ³ When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made everything he did successful, (Ge 39:2–3)

What I saw was that the scripture states that the Lord made everything Joseph did successful. Yes, we’ve read this passage dozens of times in our lives. I’ve even watched the Dreamworks movie with my family several times as well. We could see that Joseph was successful. Some have speculated that his success was because he was the favorite son. Therefore he received a better education rather than spending all of his time tending the sheep. We don’t have any indication that is true. We do know that the worship of God was passed down from Abraham to Isaac, from Issac to Jacob, and obviously Jacob instilled in Joseph a respect and fear of God.

Here is the key to Joseph’s success: Genesis 2a: “The Lord was with Joseph.”It becomes apparent that Joseph lived his life to honor God. While we see him plead with his brothers for his life and freedom, we do not see him with a bad attitude in the hands of the Ishmaelites and Potiphar, or even in prison. We see him refusing the advances of Potiphar’s wife in verse 9.

⁹ No one in this house is greater than I am. He has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. So how could I do this immense evil, and how could I sin against God?” (Ge 39:9)

Then, we see in verses 21-23,

²¹ But the Lord was with Joseph and extended kindness to him. He granted him favor with the prison warden. ²² The warden put all the prisoners who were in the prison under Joseph’s authority, and he was responsible for everything that was done there. ²³ The warden did not bother with anything under Joseph’s authority, because the Lord was with him, and the Lord made everything that he did successful.  (Ge 39:21–23)

The key to Joseph’s success was the Lord’s presence. I want to challenge us today to do what is necessary for the Lord to be present with each of us so that we can be successful in all that we do.

• We need to repent from and cast aside every sin.
• We need to keep a proper attitude in whatever we face.
• We need to rely on God to make us successful.
• We need to trust God with the process as well as the results.

¹⁹ But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? ²⁰ You planned evil against me; God planned it for good to bring about the present result—the survival of many people. ²¹ Therefore don’t be afraid. I will take care of you and your children.” And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. (Ge 50:19–21)

Finally, just like Joseph, we do not need to hold grudges. Be encouraged to abide in the vine and bear fruit to the glory of God (Read John 15)!

 All scripture references from: Christian Standard Bible. (2020). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.