By Faith...Joseph

We are to be people of faith. Jesus talked about it, Paul wrote letters on the subject, the author of Hebrews even listed a role call of men and women of "faith" in the eleventh chapter.

In this passage in Hebrews concerning Joseph, we find "By faith Joseph...spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt..." In Genesis his statement of faith was, "But God will surely come to your aid..."

That hardly sounds like a definitive "faith" statement, but God evidently considered it so. In fact, the passage in Genesis 50 indicates it was spoken twice. It sounds more wistful, to me, than it does a powerful and positive statement of faith.

I'm reminded of the man who came to Jesus and said, "Lord, I believe. Help thou my unbelief." Jesus viewed that as a statement of faith and healed the man's son (Mark 9). The man had first said to Jesus, "If you can do anything..." Jesus repeated this phrase back to him.

It is important for each of us to listen to ourselves as we pray. The fact that we have uncertainties as to whether or not God will do something is different than whether or not we believe He "can do" something. 

Recognition of God being able to "do exceedingly, abundantly more than we can ask or think" frees us to seek His will in any given situation. While God is able to accomplish the need or deed, is it within His Divine timing or design? We should continually remind ourselves of Jesus prayer in the garden, "Lord, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not my will but Thine be done."

Joseph had lived long enough (110 years) to see and know that God's hand was mighty to save and God's provision was always in time. As one of my daughters has expressed, "God is the God of just enough, and just in time." The principal things Joseph, or anyone else, was not able to know was the how, why, and timing of God's Divine Design.