Last week I wrote about Joseph's courage when faced with temptation. This week I'd like to look at the story from another angle. Joseph was the eleventh of twelve sons, but he was his father's favorite. His older brothers became annoyed because he was the more righteous than they were. One day they decided to kill Joseph, but the oldest convinced them not to do so. Instead, they sold Joseph as a slave to a company going to Egypt, where he was sold to Potiphar.
Joseph was the favorite son of a rich man, but now he was just a lowly servant. Instead of complaining about what his brothers had done, Joseph started working. He soon became Potiphar's most trusted servant, but when Potiphar's wife accused him falsely he was thrown in prison.
Again Joseph could complain about how hard and unfair his life was. Instead, he again went to work and prison keeper allowed him to help take care of the prison. Joseph had been betrayed twice, but he did not stop to whine. He kept doing his best even in difficult situations. He made the best of terrible conditions and rose to the highest position available in every place.
When two of Pharaoh's servants were imprisoned, Joseph interpreted their dreams and asked in return that one of them, Pharaoh's butler, speak to Pharaoh and have Joseph released from prison. When the dreams came true the butler returned to his duties and forgot his promise.
After this third betrayal Joseph got another chance when Pharaoh had a dream that he could not understand. The butler remembered his own dream and told Pharaoh that Joseph could interpret. Joseph correctly translated the dream and Pharaoh made him a ruler over Egypt.
Joseph was raised to a position of power because he always worked hard, even when he found himself in difficult situations. We will surprise ourselves with what we can accomplish when we keep working hard, even when everything is against us.
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