DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- FORGOTTEN

 FORGOTTEN
Genesis 40:12a, 14, 23
 
"And Joseph said to [the butler], 'This is the interpretation of it: .... But remember me when it is well with you, and please show kindness to me; make mention of me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this house.' .... Yet the chief butler did not remember him, but forgot him."
 
Joseph interpreted the butler's dream to mean that he would be released and restored to his position in Pharaoh's house. He also interpreted the dream of the baker to mean that he would be executed. Joseph hoped that when the butler was restored, he would work to get him released from prison. But, as is often the case, the butler forgot him. My expectation that people will remember the good things I do is often dashed, and I feel forgotten and forsaken. Sometimes it even seems that God has forgotten my service and sacrifice to him, and I continue to languish in my prison. But God does not forget and He will deliver me. When it seems I am forsaken, I need to remember that "God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name...." (Hebrews 6:10).
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: God remembers when other people forget.
 
[end]
 
Have a "remembered" day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- DREAMING DREAMS

 DREAMING DREAMS
Genesis 40:8
 
"And they said to him, 'We have each had a dream, and there is no interpretation of it.' So Joseph said to them, 'Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell them to me, please.' "
 
Joseph had a lot of gall to think that he could interpret other peoples' dreams when his interpretation of his own dreams of his family bowing down to him had seemed so wrong. I do believe that God does speak to people in dreams as he did in the Bible (to Joseph, to Daniel, to Jesus' surrogate father Joseph, to Peter). And the Bible says that old men shall dream dreams (Acts 2:17). But I don't recall that God has ever spoken to me in a dream. Most of my dreams have been the out-working of some psychological issue. My most common recurring dreams have resulted from my fear of losing control. As a child, I dreamed often of being on a big circular track that moved me toward the center, and like an eddy, the closer I got to the center, the faster I went and could not get off. As a teacher, I dreamed often of teaching a class that was disrupted by unruly students. As a minister, I dreamed of preaching to a congregation that gradually deteriorated into chaos. So I am leery of people who claim God has spoken to them in a dream. Time will tell if the dream was from God.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: God does speak to people in dreams, but only time will prove if it was really from God.
 
[end]
 
Have a dreamy (?) day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- SENSITIVE

 SENSITIVE
Genesis 40:5-7
 
"Then the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison, had a dream, both of them, each man's dream in one night and each man's dream with its own interpretation. And Joseph came in to them in the morning and looked at them, and saw that they were sad. So he asked Pharaoh's offices who were with him in the custody of his lord's house, saying, 'Why do you look so sad today?' "
 
All of them were in a difficult situation – Joseph, the butler, and the baker. They each had their own struggles and problems. But his own unfair accusations and unjust imprisonment did not stop Joseph from being sensitive to the needs of those around him who were also suffering. He saw their sorrow and took advantage of it to reach out and minister to them. Sometimes I am so closed in to my own world with my own pain and my own sorrow that I fail to see the distress of people around me who are also hurting. Lord Jesus, open my eyes to those around me who are suffering, and help me to minister to their needs.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: Personal pain and suffering need not stop ministry to others who are also in distress.
 
[end]
 
Have a sensitive day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- IT CAME TO PASS

 IT CAME TO PASS
Genesis 40:1-4
 
"It came to pass after these things that the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt offended their lord, the king of Egypt. And Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief butler and the chief baker. So he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison, the place where Joseph was confined. And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them; so they were in custody for a while."
 
It came to pass!!!! Time sometimes seems to move slowly in times of trouble, and it seems that things will never get better. Day by day drags by with no change. If I was Joseph, I suppose I would have thought, "Is this never going to end?" The biblical record does not say how long Joseph was in prison, only that they were incarcerated for "a while." When it seems that things will never change, that the sun will never shine again, that life will never have joy again, I need to remember that time does pass, and things will get better in "a while." God's time is not my time, but I can trust Him.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: When it seems things will never get better, it is time to hang on and trust God.
 
[end]
 
Have a trusting day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- TRUSTWORTHY

 TRUSTWORTHY
Genesis 39:21-23
 
"But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph all the prisoners who were in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his doing. 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."
 
Life had handed Joseph a raw deal. He had been unfairly accused and unjustly imprisoned, but he did not wallow in self-pity. Instead, he took the opportunities that were put before him. He just kept on being who he was. True, the LORD was with him, but it was still Joseph's responsibility to live the life that was given to him. And he did it with such faithfulness and grace that he was entrusted with a position of authority over the other prisoners. Trust is not an instant reward. It is earned over time because of faithfulness. On this Memorial Day, I think of my parents and Mildred's parents who were not always given fair shakes in this life, but they remained faithful throughout their lives to the responsibilities God had placed before them to do, and God blessed them because they were trustworthy.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: Trust is earned by being faithful to the tasks given.
 
[end]
 
Have a trustworthy day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- LIFE OUT OF (MY) CONTROL

 LIFE OUT OF (MY) CONTROL
Genesis 39:19-20
 
"So it was, when his master heard the words which his wife spoke to him, saying, 'Your servant did to me after this manner,' that his anger was aroused. Then Joseph's master took him and put him in prison, a place where the king's prisoners were confined. And he was there in prison."
 
Deja Vu. Joseph is once again in a place he did not choose nor want to be. First the pit – now the prison! Often it seems that life is beyond my control. Instead, it is determined by someone else's emotions or desire, whether I deserve it or not. I am thrust into situations I don't like and which I don't want. Life is not always fair. But I have to trust that God's purposes are being fulfilled. My job is to keep a good spirit.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: When life puts me in bad situations, I have to trust God.
 
[end]
 
Have a trusting day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- FALSE ACCUSATIONS

 FALSE ACCUSATION
Genesis 39:16-18
 
"So she kept his garment with her until his master came home. Then she spoke to him with words like these, saying, 'The Hebrew servant whom you brought to us came in to mock me; so it happened, as I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me and fled outside.' "
 
The saying goes, "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." Joseph took the brunt of the wrath of this false accusation. The accusation contained an element of truth – Joseph did leave his garment and flee. But the rest was a lie. To cover her own indiscretion, she fabricated a story which she told the other servants and then her husband, Joseph's boss. It is difficult to answer false accusations and rumors, especially when they are initiated by someone in a position of authority. People are prone to believe the worst, and it is one person's word against another. So how do I defend myself against false accusations? The Apostle Paul defended himself when he was false accused. But another model is Joseph and Jesus, who did not try to rebut the false allegations. It takes wisdom and the leading of the Holy Spirit Who "will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say" (Luke 12 :12).  My flesh wants to justify myself, but sometimes it is best to leave the vindication to God rather than to try to vindicate myself.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: Responding to false accusations requires wisdom and trusting God.
 
[end]
 
Have a trusting day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- RUN!!!!

 RUN!!!!
Genesis 39:11-12
 
"But it happened about this time, when Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house was inside, that she caught him by his garment, saying, 'Lie with me.' But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside."
 
Joseph was caught in a compromising situation. Perhaps it was the naivety of youth that caused him to be there without anyone else around as witnesses or for accountability. Perhaps his duties as manager of the house made it unavoidable. But to allow myself to be in a place where I know there is the possibility of an attack on my virtue without other people around is never wise. Joseph did the best he could under the circumstances. He ran! He did not try to talk his way out of the situation, or try to convince her it was wrong, or try to prove his inner strength to resist. We are told to "resist the devil and he will flee" (James 4:7), but especially in times of sexual temptation, the best approach is to "flee sexual immorality" (I Corinthians 6:18), and "flee youthful lusts" (II Timothy 2:22). Running away is not a sign of weakness; it is wisdom at work. I need to flee as fast as I can.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: When it is impossible to avoid a compromising situation, the best thing to do is to run away.
 
[end]
 
Have a wise day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- EROSION - DAY BY DAY

 EROSION DAY BY DAY
Genesis 39:10
 
"So it was, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did not heed her, to lie with her or to be with her."
 
Erosion does not usually happen in one day. It happens day by day over a period of time. Great chasms have been created by water slowly wearing down the hard rocks and soil. Temptation is like that. Satan came to Jesus day after day, tempting Him to give in to his own desires and passions. Joseph had a strong resolve to be holy, and "he did not heed her" – he did not give in to her seduction to sin. If I am not alert to the erosion process, my resolve can be worn down until I succumb to the temptations of this world that bombard me day by day. "Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might .... Take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand" (Ephesians 6:10, 13).
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: Living a holy life is a day by day process of resisting evil.
 
[end]
 
Have a strong day by day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE MOST IMPORTANT THING

 THE MOST IMPORTANT THING
Genesis 39:6-8a, 9b
 
"Then [Potiphar] 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 and in form and appearance. And it came to pass after these things that his master's wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, 'Lie with me.' But he refused and said to his master's wife, '... How can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?' "
 
Joseph had it all. He was good looking, intelligent, socially adept, gifted with administrative abilities, and his personality and charisma helped him to rise through the ranks to a position of authority. But the most important thing was his character. When faced with the choice to sin or to remain pure, it was not his good looks and abilities, or even his fear of Potiphar that kept him on the straight and narrow. It was his integrity, and knowledge that he had to answer to God for what he did. A fear of God will keep me from sin.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: The most important thing in a person's life is not his personal attributes but his fear of God.
 
[end]
 
Have an God-fearing day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE REWARDS OF DILIGENCE

 THE REWARDS OF DILIGENCE
Genesis 39:5
 
"So it was, from the time he had made him overseer of his house and all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of the LORD was on all that he had in the house and in the field."
 
Joseph's diligence to his work not only brought him a promotion, but also brought blessings to his boss. God blessed the Egyptian "for Joseph's sake." Now there is a perspective that is rare: to do my job faithfully so that my boss will be successful. Usually the motivation of an employee is personal success and advancement. But the success of the employer has a direct effect on the success and reward of the employee. I want to do the best I can, not only for my own rewards, but so the boss will be successful. "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might" (Ecclesiastes 9:10a).
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: The rewards to the employee are related to the success of the employer.
 
[end]
 
Have a successful day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- BLOOMING

BLOOMING
Genesis 39:1-4
 
"Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. And Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there. The LORD was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD made all he did to prosper in his hand. So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him.  Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority."
 
Joseph's story picks up in Chapter 39 with his captivity in Egypt. Joseph undoubtedly would rather have been in his homeland with his father and family than to be in Egypt as a slave. But he bloomed where he was planted, doing well with diligence the tasks that had been given to him. I am still learning Joseph's attitude and that of the Apostle Paul who wrote from jail, "I have learned in whatsoever state I am [whether Oregon or Arizona], to be content" (Philippians 4:11).
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: God will bless a contented person who blooms where he is planted.
 
[end]
 
Have a bloomin' day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- LOST FOREVER

 LOST FOREVER
Genesis 37:34-35
 
"Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth on his waist, and mourned for his son many days. And all his sons and all his daughters arose to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted, and he said, 'For I shall go down into the grave to my son in mourning.' Thus his father wept for him."
 
What hypocrites! Jacob's duplicitous sons put on a show of trying to comfort him when they knew all along what they had done. I wish I could know what words of consolation they gave him. But Jacob could not be comforted. He had lost his most-loved son. Children can never know the depths of anguish a parent feels when he or she has lost a child – whether by death or by separation. It's like a part of the heart has been ripped out. Jacob thought Joseph was gone forever and that he would never see him again in this life. At least I have hope that my son will return (to the Lord) before I die.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: There is pain in losing a child that the children will never know until they lose a child of their own.
 
[end]
 
Have a hopeful day.   Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- SILENT DECEPTION

 SILENT DECEPTION
Genesis 37:31-33
 
"So they took Joseph's tunic, killed a kid of the goats, and dripped the tunic in the blood. Then they sent the tunic of many colors, and they brought it to their father and said, 'We have found this. Do you know whether it is your son's tunic or not?' And he recognized it and said, 'It is my son's tunic. A wild beast has devoured him. Without a doubt Joseph is torn in pieces.' "
 
A lie is a lie is a lie, whether it is explicit or it is inferred. Deception seems to be the story of Jacob's life. After all, his very name "Jacob" means deceiver. He deceived his father Isaac in order to get Esau's birthright (Genesis 27). He was deceived by Laban when he married Leah instead of Rachel (Genesis 29). Now he is deceived again by his own sons, as they conspired to make their father believe something that was not true. They did not outwardly lie, but they cunningly asked a question that allowed Jacob to come to his own conclusion, and they did not correct his false impression.   I need to protect my integrity by being careful to not encourage others to believe a falsehood by my silence.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: Deception is not always an outright lie, but can be my silence in allowing another person to come to wrong conclusion.
 
[end]
 
Have a truthful day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- OUT OF CONTROL

 OUT OF CONTROL
Genesis 27b, 36
 
"And [the Midianites] took Joseph to Egypt .... Now the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard."
 
Joseph's life was out of control, or so it seemed. It was taking him places that were not of his own choosing. We all like to be in control of our own destinies, and not be tossed around like a boat on a stormy sea. Life may have been out of Joseph's control, but not out of God's control. Looking back at the end of the story, Joseph could say, "So now it was not you who sent me here, but God" (Genesis 45:6), and, "You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good" (Genesis 50:20). Hindsight is always better than when I am in the middle of living. But in the times when life does not take me where I planned, I can be confident that God is in control and He is working a greater purpose. "A man's heart plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps" (Proverbs 16:9). "The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD" (Psalm 37:23).
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: Life may be out of my control, but it is never out of God's control.
 
[end]
 
Have an "in (His) control" day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- OUT OF THE PIT

OUT OF THE PIT
Genesis 37:26-28
 
"So Judah said to his brothers 'What profit is there if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother and our flesh.' And his brothers listened. Then Midianite traders passed by; so the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt."
 
Judah (which means praise) was more tenderhearted toward Joseph than his brothers. Perhaps he was touched by the cries of Joseph in the pit to please get him out and set him free. Because of Judah's intervention, Joseph was lifted out of the pit and saved from the judgment of death. I also have a tenderhearted Savior – the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Revelation 5:5) – Who heard my cry and lifted me out of the pit and saved me from the judgment of death. "I waited patiently for the LORD, and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay" (Psalm 40:1-2a). Praise be to Jesus for His wonderful kindness toward me.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: It takes a tenderhearted savior to lift another person out of a pit.
 
[end]
 
Have a praising day. Love you.
 

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- A WAY OF ESCAPE

 A WAY OF ESCAPE
Genesis 37:25
 
"And [the brothers] sat down to eat a meal. Then they lifted their eyes and looked, and there was a company of Ishmaelites, coming from Gilead with their camels, bearing spices, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry them down to Egypt."
 
Joseph's deliverance came from an unexpected source. On the map, it appears that Dothan, where Jacob's sons were tending the sheep, is rather out of the way for this caravan to be traveling from Gilead to Egypt. It certainly is not the most direct route. Plus, they came at just the right time. So I don't believe that this was just a coincidence or chance encounter. I believe it was God-directed. I may be in a pit with no hope of escape. But when I am faced with a challenge or test, God will provide a way out in an unexpected way in His time. "No temptation [test] has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted [tested] beyond what you are able, but with the temptation [test] will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it" (I Corinthians 10:13). God is faithful.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: God's deliverance from trouble may come in an unexpected way, but it is always at just the right time.
 
[end]
 
Have an "unexpected" day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- STRIPPED

 STRIPPED
Genesis 37:22-24a
 
"And Reuben said to them, 'Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit which is in the wilderness, and do not lay a hand on him' – that he might deliver him out of their hands, and bring him back to his father. So it came to pass, when Joseph had come to his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the tunic of many colors that was on him. Then they took him and cast him into a pit."
 
Stripped! Joseph's coat of many colors was his identity as a favored son. In their envy and hatred, his brothers stripped him of his personhood, and threw him under the bus, so to speak. But that did not change who Joseph was – Jacob's son. Even Jesus was stripped and thrown into a pit, but that did not change Who He was – the Son of God. When people strip me of my dignity, humiliate me, put me down, and throw me into the pit, I need to remember who I am – a child of the living God! No one can take that away from me.  "Who can separate me from the love of Christ? .... I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:35-39).  And I have an Elder Brother who is acting on my behalf to deliver me and bring me home to the Father.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: A Christian may be humiliated, put down, and stripped of his dignity, but his position as a child of God can never be take away.
 
[end]
 
Have a secure day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- DREAM KILLERS - DREAM SAVERS

 DREAM-KILLERS – DREAM-SAVERS
Genesis 37:19-21
 
"Then they said to one another, 'Look, this dreamer is coming! Come therefore, let us now kill him and cast him into some pit; and we shall say, "Some wild beast has devoured him." We shall see what will become of his dreams.' But Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands, and said, 'Let us not kill him.' "
 
There will always be dream-killers – people who have the ministry of destroying other people's visions. They are nay-sayers who put down other people's dreams by undermining, or ridiculing, or saying, "It can't be done," or saying, "Who does he think he is?" Scornfully, they say, "We will see what happens to his dreams." But God often sends a deliverer to keep the dream alive – an encourager who will stand up against the crowd. Many dreams would die if it wasn't for the Reubens in this world.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: Dreams die without encouragers who help save the dream from extinction.
 
[end]
 
Have a Reuben (not a sandwich) day.  Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- OBEYING THE CALL

 OBEYING THE CALL
Genesis 27:14b, 17b-18
 
"So [Jacob] sent [Joseph] out of the Valley of Hebron, and he went to Schechem .... So Joseph went after his brothers and found them in Dothan. Now when [the brothers] saw him afar off...they conspired to kill him."
 
On the map, the distance from Hebron to Shechem appears to be about fifty miles, which is some walking distance that included twists and turns, mountains and valleys. The trail may have sometimes been faint and he may have lost his way, causing some dead-ends and backtracking. And even when he got to Shechem, there was disappointment when he discovered his journey was not over because they had moved their flocks on to Dothan, which is about another 20 miles. Following God's call to "Go" is not always a straight line with level paths, but it often involves twists and turns, ups and downs, dead-ends and back-tracking, and disappointment when we have to go farther than we thought. And even when we get there, the reception may not be that wonderful. After all, Jesus obeyed the Father and left the comfort of Heaven to traveled a rough road here on Earth that involved conspiracy to kill Him. So fulfilling the will of the Father may not always be an easy task.
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: Fulfilling God's call may not be as easy as expected.
 
[end]
 
Have a "following" day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- HERE I AM

 HERE I AM
Genesis 17:12-13
 
"Then his brothers went to feed their father's flock in Shechem. And Israel said to Joseph, 'Are not your brothers feeding the flock in Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.' So he said to him, 'Here I am."
 
Joseph was quick to submit to his father's wishes with no excuses. He could have said, "I'm too young to go," or "That's too far," or "Don't you know that they hate me?" Instead, his answer to the call was a simple, "Here I am." Oh, that I would be that quick to say "Yes" to my Heavenly Father. I want to be like Joseph and Isaiah – quick to answer, "Here am I! Send me" (Isaiah 6:8).
 
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: A quick "Yes" to God's call is the best answer, without excuses.
 
[end]
 
Have a "Yes" day. Love you.