Slideshow image

Bloom Wherever God Plants You
“The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph’s charge, because the LORD was with him. And whatever he did, the LORD made it succeed.” (Genesis 39:23)

Do you ever feel trapped by the circumstances of your life? Confined by your work, poor health, injury, family problems, financial struggles? Does it seem like God has forgotten you there?

Joseph’s enemies thought they had him just where they wanted him, rotting away in prison. His brothers wanted to get rid of him by selling him into slavery so that his prophetic dream of ruling over them would never come true. Potiphar’s wife, insulted and angry for his refusal of her sexual advances, wanted her wounded pride avenged. She falsely accused Joseph in order to get rid of him. His brothers and Potiphar’s wife both thought that they had effectively ended Joseph! 

But not God. God knew that they each had played perfectly into God’s plan for Joseph. For Joseph was just where God wanted him to be. In Egypt, in the king’s prison, so at just the right moment Joseph would be available when called upon to interpret Pharaoh’s dream, saving Egypt and his own family, Israel. 

How did Joseph respond to his imprisonment? Joseph served God faithfully in prison. God was with Joseph, causing his simple, faithful service to succeed. God blessed his service such that the keeper of the prison placed him in charge of all the prisoners.

So when two new prisoners show up—Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker—what did Joseph do? “The captain of the guard appointed Joseph to be with them, and he attended them” (Genesis 40:4). Nothing fancy there, simple humble service. He attended them. 

Then when they had dreams, he noticed that they were disturbed so he asked them, “Why are your faces downcast?” (Genesis 40:7) When they told him it was on account of their dreams, he offered to help. “Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me” (Genesis 40:8). Joseph, the faithful servant of God, attending to fellow prisoners entrusted to his care, knew that God could interpret their dreams. 

Joseph, by God’s help, did interpret their dreams, the baker would be executed but the cupbearer would be restored. This cupbearer, after initially forgetting Joseph for two years, remembered that Joseph could interpret dreams and commended Joseph to Pharaoh. The rest is history. Joseph became second in command of Egypt, delivering all, including his hateful brothers, from starvation. 

But it would not have happened like this without the attacks of enemies, and without the time in slavery and in prison. 

When Jesus was on the cross his enemies thought they had him just where they wanted him. They thought that they had effectively finished him. But God the Father had God the Son just where he wanted him. Where he knew Jesus must be in order to deliver his people from death and destruction. And Jesus served faithfully on the cross as our once and forever sacrifice for sin. “He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; ‘by his wounds you have been healed’” (1 Peter 2:24).

We can often feel trapped by our circumstances. We feel confined by illness, poor finances, attacks of enemies, broken family relations, aging bodies, demonic discouragement, or depression. But God has us just where he wants us, for the moment. Our first call is not to escape our circumstances. Our call is to recognize that our good God in his wisdom and providence has us right where he wants us, for now. And here to serve him faithfully. Turning to Christ who is always with us, we look to him to bless us, to let us bloom right where he has planted us. 

Because Christ was obedient unto death on the cross, the LORD is with us, who are his. And because the LORD is with us, wherever he has placed us just now, the LORD will, in his time and in his way, make it succeed. “The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me” (Psalm 138:8).

This is the powerful truth that Joseph came to see and proclaim to his own brothers. “You intended to harm me. But God intended it for good, to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Genesis 50:20). God’s plans are bigger than our enemies or the problems that confine us! 

Feeling trapped? Remember Joseph in that prison, right where God wanted him to be, soon to be second in command of Egypt, saving his people from death. Remember our Lord Jesus nailed to the cross, right where the Father wanted him to be, soon to be at the right of God The Father Almighty, having saved his people from worse than death. Trust God’s love, trust his providence, trust his plan. Serve faithfully wherever he has you now, with whatever he has given you. Blooming right where he has planted you. Even if it is on a cross.