Wendy's Video Summary - Friday, January 15, 2010

(For those of you not participating in the Chronological Bible reading with Wendy Pope, please visit my other blog, “Pondering In His Presence”. Thank you.)

FROM JOY! First, a thousand apologies for being so late today. My husband didn’t set the alarm this morning, but he neglected to tell me. I feel like I’ve been running behind all day. I had friends visiting from out of town, so when I missed my early morning opportunity to transcribe the video, I knew it would be later in the day before I arrived here. Those of you who read this, would you please leave a comment and let me know what time you visit here. I try so hard to get this posted early in the day, but sometimes it just doesn’t work out. However, I’d appreciate knowing what time you come looking for this post. Thanks. Ok…on to Wendy!

Today it is 55 degrees in Charlotte. Praise God. Wendy is sitting in the office area and the sun is shining through. She’s so excited. She didn’t even have to wear a coat today. She wore gloves to keep her hands warm, but no coat.

Today is the end of a great week of study. We covered more of Joseph’s life today. We saw Joseph move from being Potiphar’s advisor to being thrown into prison. He did the right thing, resisted the temptation of Potiphar’s wife and was thrown into prison. We said yesterday that sometimes when we do the right thing, it does not always end in the right way. We see here today, praise God, we can move from the pit of our lives, to a palace, a place of blessing so to speak. We read in Genesis 40:1, “Some time later, Pharaoh’s chief cup-bearer and chief baker offended their royal master.” Nothing was wasted there. They were in prison with Joseph and God knew what was going to happen to Joseph and he was going to need some friends that had been in high places. What Wendy wants us to see first is that we can learn anything in a pit. Joseph got to be friends with lots of people and was moved to a high position, and found favour, there in prison. Sometimes when we’re in a “pit” or “prison” there are things to be learned, and blessings there. God was preparing Joseph for what was to come. God was preparing Joseph by putting this cup-bearer and chef in prison with him. Wendy was amazed at this. These two would know a lot about what went on in the palace and would have a lot of stories about what happened in the palace. Joseph was able to learn something while he was in the pit. Sometimes when we get in the pit we just want to wallow in it. Wendy says she’s right there with us. She’s probably the queen of wallower’s. She sometimes feels sorry for herself and wants others to join her in a pity party. Joseph did not do that. He made the best of a bad situation. He made the best of an unfair situation.

She says she also noticed in Genesis 40:14, that it is OK to ask to get out of the pit. After he interpreted the dream he said, “And please remember me and do me a favor when things go well for you. Mention me to Pharaoh, so he might let me out of this place." "When things go well", when the time comes, please remember me and get me out of here. It’s OK to ask to get out of the place of distress that you might be in right now, and ask for relief, but we have to trust God while we’re there to teach us, to mold us, to prepare us, and look at this place of despair or discouragement or season of grief, that God is preparing us for the next phase we will be encountering. Joseph didn’t get out right away. It says in Scripture, “two years later”. He was in prison two more years before he got out. Two more years before the cup-bearer told Pharaoh about Joseph interpreting his dream. It’s OK to ask to get out, but if we don’t get out right away, two years or longer, don’t get discouraged. It’s easier to say than do, but God is always working and everything He is doing is for our good. He will work it out. Whether it’s our bad decisions. Whether we were wronged or unjustly accused of something. All bad will be worked out if we love the Lord.

The next thing Wendy wanted to highlight today was that we will get out of the pit when God says it’s time to get out of the pit. Genesis 41:40 says, "You will be in charge of my court, and all my peopole will take orders from you. Only I, sitting on my throne, will have a rank higher than yours." When God is ready to move you out of that place of despair and discouragement He will make a way for you to get out and take everything you have learned while there and use it for your good.

Wendy’s last point is that when you are trusted with little you will be blessed with more. Joseph was trusted with looking after prisoner’s under the chief guard in the king’s prison. That was a little bit of responsibility. Now he is given charge of the entire land of Egypt. (Genesis 41:41) He went from managing prisons to managing a whole entire country. Everyone, except Pharaoh, was subject to him. All of that was prepared for him even when he was sold into slavery at 17 years of age, and he’s now 30 years old. It took Joseph a while to get to that place of leadership and that place where God wanted him to be and he got there and God used everything for Joseph’s good in preparing him.

In her closing thoughts, Wendy loved the meaning of Joseph's sons names. Joseph received a new name too that meant “interpreter or revealer of secrets”. He had a son, Manasseh that meant, “God made me forget my troubles”. He had another son Ephraim, “God can make me fruitful in my grief”. Wendy loved that. Nothing is wasted with God. Even in our troubles, God can make us forget our troubles. Even in our grief, God can make us fruitful in our grief.

Today’s lesson made Wendy look at the pit a little differently and she hopes it did us as well.

“Y’all have a great weekend and I’ll see you Monday!”

(All thoughts transcribed from Wendy's blog to aid those whose computers are not capatible to view these videos.)