You Can Rise Above Your Beginnings

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The Lord was with Joseph...

Genesis 39:2

Joseph didn't come from an ideal family. He was the eleventh son of Jacob, a con-man and a conniver. By this time, however, Jacob had got his spiritual act together. But his ten older sons took after their dad. They once deceived and killed an entire town of men because one of them raped their sister (Genesis 34). Now they're about to commit another deed of treachery, selling Joseph into slavery. Yet Joseph turned out to be a man of greatness. What's the bottom line? That you can rise above your beginnings! Look at Joseph. Perhaps you've been rejected, or discovered the people you thought loved you really didn't. That's Joseph's story. But, 'The Lord was with Joseph'. Those words change everything!

Regardless of what happened yesterday, if you remain faithful to God He can rearrange tomorrow in your favour. Many people who've been mistreated are still focusing on the people who hurt them, waiting for them to make things right. In a lot of cases that isn't going to happen. If you've been wronged you need to turn to the One who won't hurt you, and who is there to help and heal you. Face it; some relationships aren't going to get fixed! Your parents may never accept you. You may not be able to escape the problem you've been living with or resolve it to your liking. God's not limited by your past, He's only limited by your lack of faith. So trust Him. '...If God is for us, who can be against us?' (Romans 8:31 NIV). If God is for you, in the final analysis it doesn't matter who's against you.

Used with permission from UCB Word for Today. Free issues are available here for the UK and Republic of Ireland.