"And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out." Joseph knew all about hardship, trials, false accusation, dreams, and blessings. He had dreams of his brothers bowing before him, and he made the mistake of telling his brothers about it; they became jealous and plotted to kill him, but ended up "selling" him. He was bought from the Ishmaelites by an Egyptian guard, and became overseer of Potiphar's house. The Lord blessed Potiphar for Joseph's sake, but Potiphar's wife "cast her eyes" upon Joseph ... and so begins Joseph's saga and long desert trial of being "Bent, Spent, and Sent."
Joseph, sold by his brothers
"Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they
brought him hastily out of the dungeon ... And
Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a
dream and there is none that can interpret it: and
I have heard say of thee that thou canst
understand a dream to interpret it."
(Genesis 41:14-15)
BENT: Joseph had been in prison two years, and he was innocent of all wrongdoing. "Bend" means to change or cause a change to direction. Joseph's prison term was a change of direction in his life. But, God was with him! You say, "How could you be sent to prison falsely and God be with you?" Glad you asked! Bad things happen to good people; the rain falls on the just and the unjust ... we live in a "fallen" world. You've heard the words, "the devil meant it for evil, but God meant it for good;" it happens all the time! Have you ever been falsely accused? I have, and it's not fun, but I was able to witness to a person high-up in the corporate ladder because of it, and I learned that "it's never about the trouble;" it's always, if you belong to God, about the "trial" of our faith and the "witness." 
Pharaoh suddenly had two dreams that kept him awake, and he was told that Joseph could interpret dreams, so Joseph was called and brought before him. Herein is an important nugget of wisdom: Joseph answered Pharaoh saying, "It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace." ALWAYS: To God be all the Glory! God will be with us in everything, but the blessing comes when we always give Him the Glory. God gives gifts of the Spirit, but where humans trip up is when they begin to believe "they" did it! Joseph was restored to be overseer of the household once again. 
"And they took Joseph's coat, and killed a kid of the goats,
and dipped the coat in the blood; and they sent the coat of
many colours, and they brought it to their father; and said,
This have we found: know now whether it be thy son's coat
or no ... It is my son's coat; an evil beast hath devoured
him .. And Jacob rent his clothes and put sackcloth upon his
loins, and mourned for his son many days."
(Genesis 37:31-34)
SPENT: Joseph's troubles began with his brothers' jealousy. They were furious with Joseph's dreams that they would one day bow to him. So, they wanted to kill him, but then sold him. What would they tell their father? They took Joseph's bloody coat and presented it to their father, letting him believe his son was dead. One definition of "spent" means tossed aside, finished. Joseph was thrown out like yesterday's trash.
Have you ever felt that feeling of being "discarded?" Have you been "removed" from someone's life, through divorce, abuse, or separation? It's the lowest most debase feeling I know of; it is despicable, ungodly, and what everyone in earth feels at some point in their lives "before" Jesus Christ enters on our scene! Maybe you are a Christian and you still have those feelings because of situations or circumstances; look up! There will be NO abuses, divorces, and removals in heaven, for those who are in Christ Jesus! But, use your "spent" moments, in earth, as a witness to those who have no hope! The hope of this earth is living a repentant life, being filled with the Holy Ghost and speaking in tongues daily as the Spirit gives the utterance, and being baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. It's called Salvation!
"And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to
me I pray you. And they came near, and
he said, I am Joseph, your brother, whom
you sold into Egypt.
(Genesis 45:4)
SENT: Joseph's interpretation of Pharaoh's dreams was that there would be seven years of plenty and seven years of famine. When the famine hit, Jacob, Joseph's father, sent Joseph's brothers to Egypt to buy corn. Deja Vu! Suddenly, Joseph's brothers were kneeling before him, not recognizing him as Joseph because he was sitting on a throne in kingly robes, and they believed their brother was long gone; and never in their wildest dreams would they think he would end up on a throne before them. Joseph toyed with them somewhat sending them back and forth to their father, in fear, after their having been accused of being thieves and spies, but finally, they were told to bring their youngest brother, Benjamin, back to Egypt. This tore their father's heart in two, but he agreed. Finally, Joseph wept before his brothers when he at long last lay eyes on his brother Benjamin, and he told them who he was. They all wept together, and Joseph brought his father and all his kin to Goshen to live in the blessings of God. Joseph was "sent" before his family to bless them!
What about you and me? We've been "bent" and "spent;" now it's time for us to be "sent!" Why? To bring salvation to every corner of the world before the final judgment! To preserve life!
"Now therefore be not grieved, nor
angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither;
for God did send me before you
to preserve life."
(Genesis 45:5)
(Visit promiselandchurch.net and theexperience238.com.)
PromiseLand Church, Austin, Texas
Services Sundays 10:30 am and Wednesdays 7:00 pm
~~~~~~~~~Live Streaming~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you for joining us in worship of our Lord Jesus Christ!
Please send us your prayer requests and if you would like to
sow seed into holy tried ground that prays and SEES miracles,
you may give online @ promiselandchurch.net. God bless you,
dear one, and I know that He surely will!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PromiseLand Church!
We've been SENT to love and reach
the world for Jesus Christ!
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Amen.
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