You can start young

I just read about a lady in New Zealand that cheated two organizations off more than a million dollars. She managed to do this even with all the usual controls in place. Reminds me of my statement to a senior government leader that no amount of controls and education can help if the person's character is flawed. Joseph on the other hand was par excellence.

Genesis 39:2, The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.

As you read the first part of this chapter you will see a slave become the managing director of a very important man in the Pharaoh's palace. I like the way this verse reads.

Genesis 39:6, Thus he left all that he had in Joseph's hand, and he did not know what he had except for the bread which he ate. Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance.

Potiphar had nothing to worry about in the management of his assets both in the house and in the field (his business). But with greater prominence came greater interest from others. This included Potiphar's wife. Joseph went from the pit to the Pharaoh's palace, then to prison in a foreign land away from family and friends. But God continued to prosper him.

Genesis 39:23, The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph's authority, because the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper.

What an incredible man, his incredible journey, and his incredible relationship with God. He is a model for all young aspiring man. This all started when he was 17.

Father, help many young people stay and do right for your glory.

Comments

My Journey of Faith

Sreedhar standing to the left of his grandfather in the center Almost 55 years ago a son was born to a Hindu family. The parents were 2nd generation Malaysians raised in a rubber estate near a small town called Sungei Petani in Northern Malaya at that time. This first child was given much love and care by their parents and had the privilege of growing up in 3 different states of Malaysia, most of which was in Petaling Jaya. He was blessed with his first domestic airplane ride when he was 10 years old, and made his first trip by airplane to Bangkok at the age of 11. In the mid 1970's the family moved to a large house in a relatively exclusive neighborhood in Petaling Jaya. This was a result of the favor his father, aged about 35 at that time, had in the workplace,. As a result, this son grew up in a mostly multicultural environment with Indian, Chinese and Malay children. In the process, his perspectives became cosmopolitan and racially neutral. On...

Stand and raise your hands

I apologize if I offend anyone, but I feel free to lift up my hands when I worship the Lord. I would do it while standing up. It is only natural when you are worshiping the Almighty God, creator of heaven of earth. He is after all the God loves me and redeemed me by dying on the dying on the cross. The Psalmist agrees with me on this one. Psalm 134:1-2 Behold, bless the Lord, All you servants of the Lord, Who by night stand in the house of the Lord! Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, And bless the Lord. There are key elements to be observed here in this chapter being shared by the Psalmist. The familiar ones are us blessing God, doing it with hands raised, we doing this as servants of God. But a new element that I did not see before is doing all this at night, though it may have been said in other parts of the Word. The Psalmist ends with acknowledging God as the one who made heaven and earth. Reflection from 2016: Speaks to me about ...

You will look good

In today's world many are not happy with how they look naturally. They do everything possible to get it "right". Some of these include almost permanent changes that affects their bodies for the rest of their lives. This includes tattoos. I am not going to saying anything about this but we need to be careful about the agenda of people that do these things. There is something better. Revelation 22:4, They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. How God's name is going to be on our foreheads, I am not sure. But it would be like wearing a uniform of an organization that you are very proud of, and want to be associated with publicly. There will also be the tree of life. There will be no more pain. No more sorrow. God's presence will be so tangible that we can see His face. Revelation 22:12-13, “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and t...

Stay close with someone precious

Yesterday, I sat in church and saw a very obedient young boy. We were sitting in the balcony and as the boy approached the railings, the mother gave an instruction with a whisper and the boy retreated back. Later the mother whispered for him to sit on the chair, and he immediately obeyed. The mother must hold him very precious and taught him from young about the importance of obedience. When we hold someone very dear and precious, we will invest in that person. The Song of Solomon 5:10-11 My beloved is white and ruddy, Chief among ten thousand. His head is like the finest gold; His locks are wavy, And black as a raven. The writer describes how the bride missed her groom and went desperately looking for him. After that she elaborately describes his goodness using parallels of nature, precious stones and spices. Yes, we must not let go of something precious. Once I misplaced my passport when traveling overseas and a panic came over me. And so...

I have decided to do right today

Have you been told off for something that you may or may not have done wrong? How did you feel? I usually feel rotten. I get a mix of guilt and anger, but these situations have tremendously reduced with my growing relationship with God. You want to say many things to justify your actions (or inaction), but it is usually of little value. Accept everything said (or written) as good feedback, and do better the next time. Amos 1:2 And he said: “The LORD roars from Zion, And utters His voice from Jerusalem; The pastures of the shepherds mourn, And the top of Carmel withers.” Amos the prophet must have been in great fear as he spoke. So many negative things against so many people. The pronouncement of judgement can make you angry or repent. I am reminded of King David's reaction to Nathan the prophet when he confronted him about his relationship with Bathsheba. He cried out to God and repented. Many of Israel's kings never repented and the Lord c...

Be unconventional

I may have said this popular quote before, insanity is defined as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. If our plan is for better success then the approach needs to be changed. Or perhaps unconventional. The old ways cannot remain. David did the unthinkable. 1 Samuel 27:1, And David said in his heart, “Now I shall perish someday by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape to the land of the Philistines; and Saul will despair of me, to seek me anymore in any part of Israel. So I shall escape out of his hand.” Desperate times called for desperate measures. He ran from Saul's persistent need to kill him by moving to enemy territory. While there he had good war campaigns and duped the Philistines into thinking that he was against the people of Israel. God is ready to give us new approaches for spiritual warfare for souls. Are we ready for unconventional methods and approaches? The challenge for us...

Sreedhar's Journey

Search This Blog