God has a Plan

By Pastor Rey Diaz

God has a plan.  Let’s look at this story of Joseph from God’s perspective.

God: There is a famine coming that could wipe out my chosen people.  I promised Abraham that I would bless him so that he could be a blessing to the world.  And when I make a promise, I never break a promise.  So I have to save his descendants from the famine.

Angel: How are you going to do that?  Egypt has a Pharaoh that doesn’t serve you and they are the only country big and powerful enough to provide the food.

God: I will send 7 years of prosperity so that they will all have enough to last through the 7 years of famine.

Angel 2: But Pharaoh and his posse will probably just spend and overindulge during the 7 years of prosperity.

God: I need someone who knows how to manage prosperity, yet also knows how to manage in scarcity.

Angel: Who is that?  Jacob?  Reuben?  Judah? Potiphar?  The warden?

God: Nope.  It will be Joseph.  He has a hard life ahead of Him.  But I have a plan.  He will learn how to manage prosperity with Potiphar.  Then he will learn how to manage scarcity with the Warden.  Then once he trusts in me and is ready, I will make him governor over all of Egypt. 

Angel: But Joseph is going to be sold by his brothers to slavers who will then sell him to Potiphar…

God: I will be with him.

Angel: Then Joseph will be falsely accused of rape by Potiphar’ wife and sent to a dungeon….

God: I will be with him.

Angel: Then he will be forgotten in the dungeon for years.  It won’t seem like you are with him.

God: I will be with him through it all.  Sin, weakness, and tragedy- none of it can thwart my plans.  I’m in complete control.  I need someone to save the chosen people.  Joseph is that someone. 

Angel: I still feel bad for Joseph but at least you will be with him.  Can you punish the brothers for me?

Okay, I don’t think it happened quite like this but I hope you see that God was in complete control and he had a plan the entire time.  God was silent but he was not absent. 

I believe the same is true in your life.  Things have not gone your way.  You can’t believe the way things turned out.  You struggle to understand God’s purposes.  But I know That God has plans for you. 

Jeremiah 29:11-12

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. ¹² In those days when you pray, I will listen.¹³ If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.