Perspective: Wk2 - MON
Prosperity
Genesis 39:1-2
Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there.
The LORD was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master.
There is a popular theology today that suggests you can tell whether the Lord is with you by what happens to you. Your career is on the rise, the house sells for more than the asking price, or you get pregnant as soon as you hoped. Your social media shares vacation spots, the cars you drive, and decadent meals. God’s presence can be seen from a distance. The only problem is that the Bible teaches something different.
Repeatedly, scripture challenges the idea that God’s presence is measured by how well things are going. For instance, in John 16:33, Jesus warns His disciples, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” So, which is it? With Jesus in our lives, will we experience trouble or be overcomers? Could it be both? As it turns out, prosperity is a matter of perspective.
Most recently, Joseph has been ripped from everything he knows, sold into slavery at a bargain-basement price, transported across the desert to Egypt, and sold into the service of Potiphar. This is a brutal man responsible for Pharaoh’s security, managing the state prisons, conducting royal investigations, and overseeing executions. Joseph isn’t on a skiing trip in Aspen or honeymooning in Cabo. Yet in these circumstances, the Bible says, “The LORD was with Joseph, and he prospered” (Genesis 39:2).
Is it possible that the dissonance in this story reveals two distinct worlds? Is there a difference between the inner and outer worlds? A contrast between the physical and the spiritual? This would explain a lot. What if real prosperity is experienced from the inside out? Is true success a spiritual reality rather than a physical one? Could this be what Paul taps into when he says:
“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:12-13)
What if prosperity is the presence of Yahweh? Like the undaunted spirit of a concentration camp survivor or a hospice patient, somehow able to claim joy, Joseph is living a life of prosperity as a slave, alone, with no hope of rescue.
Today, may you live the lavish life of prosperity… peace, contentment, and joy… because Jesus is with you.
Genesis 39:1-2
Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there.
The LORD was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master.
There is a popular theology today that suggests you can tell whether the Lord is with you by what happens to you. Your career is on the rise, the house sells for more than the asking price, or you get pregnant as soon as you hoped. Your social media shares vacation spots, the cars you drive, and decadent meals. God’s presence can be seen from a distance. The only problem is that the Bible teaches something different.
Repeatedly, scripture challenges the idea that God’s presence is measured by how well things are going. For instance, in John 16:33, Jesus warns His disciples, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” So, which is it? With Jesus in our lives, will we experience trouble or be overcomers? Could it be both? As it turns out, prosperity is a matter of perspective.
Most recently, Joseph has been ripped from everything he knows, sold into slavery at a bargain-basement price, transported across the desert to Egypt, and sold into the service of Potiphar. This is a brutal man responsible for Pharaoh’s security, managing the state prisons, conducting royal investigations, and overseeing executions. Joseph isn’t on a skiing trip in Aspen or honeymooning in Cabo. Yet in these circumstances, the Bible says, “The LORD was with Joseph, and he prospered” (Genesis 39:2).
Is it possible that the dissonance in this story reveals two distinct worlds? Is there a difference between the inner and outer worlds? A contrast between the physical and the spiritual? This would explain a lot. What if real prosperity is experienced from the inside out? Is true success a spiritual reality rather than a physical one? Could this be what Paul taps into when he says:
“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:12-13)
What if prosperity is the presence of Yahweh? Like the undaunted spirit of a concentration camp survivor or a hospice patient, somehow able to claim joy, Joseph is living a life of prosperity as a slave, alone, with no hope of rescue.
Today, may you live the lavish life of prosperity… peace, contentment, and joy… because Jesus is with you.
- If you could travel anywhere in the world to experience one meal, where would you go and what would you eat?
- What is something you have been praying for that, as of yet, you haven’t received? How does that make you feel?
- What gift for your inner world would you like to ask Jesus for today?
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