When Joseph had been taken down to Egypt, Potiphar, Pharaoh’s chief officer, the commander of the royal guard and an Egyptian, purchased him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there. 2 The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man and served in his Egyptian master’s household.3 His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made everything he did successful. 4 Potiphar thought highly of Joseph, and Joseph became his assistant; he appointed Joseph head of his household and put everything he had under Joseph’s supervision. 5 From the time he appointed Joseph head of his household and of everything he had, the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s household because of Joseph. The Lord blessed everything he had, both in the household and in the field. 6 So he handed over everything he had to Joseph and didn’t pay attention to anything except the food he ate.
Reflection
The story of Joseph is a favorite with many people. You probably remember him as his father’s favorite son, who was mugged by his jealous brothers, who was sold into slavery, who was seduced by his boss’s wife, who was imprisoned, who dreamed all of Egypt out of a famine, and who was reconciled with his brothers. Sometimes you hear just a small portion, like today, but the story of Joseph is over 13 chapters long. (For the curious, the first mention of Joseph is chapter 35: 24. The last mention is the last verse of Genesis 50:26.) Taken in its entirety, his story is a bold metaphor for God’s presence in the life of every person who has ever been or ever will be created. While we often think of God’s blessings to be the best things in our lives, we also must give thanks for God’s blessings as we go through the dark times. In times of trial and plenty, or just those average, ho-hum days, God is with us, always.
God blessed our niece with a beautiful singing voice and has trusted her to use it. She followed her dream, trained diligently, did some commercials, a few television and movie spots. Then she landed her dream job playing the Narrator in the Broadway opening of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in 1993. That was followed by another dream, playing Eponine on Broadway in Les Miserables, and the dream continued as she sang her
way through many regional productions including the American premier of Stephen Schwartz’s Children of Eden, the Wizard of Oz and others. I could not read today’s scripture without visiting memories of her singing some of those tunes from “Joseph.” Through the years our niece took time to raise a family. As they have grown, she has been blessed to continue singing and to return to the stage. As the Lord was with Joseph in today’s scripture, so God has blessed our niece with a powerful voice and an amazing singing career, continuing to bring joy to people of all ages.
by Kathleen Stolz
For Pondering and Prayer
As I reflect on my own career, I know that God has blessed me in so many ways. One of the gifts I have appreciated about being a pastor was listening to family members memorialize loved ones as they planned a Celebration of Life. As the Associate I frequently received the blessing of celebrating beyond the “traditional” church. Perhaps my favorite Celebration took place at a Girl Scout camp around a campfire, listening to nature and sharing stories, both happy and sad.
As you reflect on your life, how and when have you felt the Lord blessing you?
Prayer: Creator God, we thank you for your constant presence in our lives. We give you thanks for walking with us through the highs and lows of everyday, and especially through incredibly challenging moments. May the stories of Joseph lift our spirits and give us hope in our own lives. And may we rejoice and give you thanks for the assurance that you are always with us. Amen.
