Within the last few days, we have seen a couple of examples of how God changes the hearts of people- first with Matthew, and then Jonah. Two totally different men from different eras, two different ways in which Almighty God dealt with them in terms of changing their hearts. One was a man of God who decided to disobey a direct command of the Lord, and God went to extreme measures in order to deal with his rebellion, bringing the man of God to death's door (in a very unusual way!) before he was finally willing to obey. The other was a despised tax collector whom Jesus Christ apprehended and changed with a simple look and bidding, "Follow Me." Fascinating, isn't it? The grace, power, mercy, and ultimate sovereignty of our Lord, displayed so differently in dealing with various people, as HE sees fit!

Today we will take a look at Joseph, favorite son of Jacob (Israel), and how God dealt with and changed his heart. Read Genesis chapters 37 through 50 (the end of the book). Joseph's brothers were quite aware that their brother was daddy's favorite and they hated him because of it. God gave Joseph dreams in which (in two separate ways) he would one day have preeminence over all of his brothers, and even over his own father! Now, as a boastful young lad, he did not hesitate to inform his brothers and his father of the (truly) divinely inspired dreams, and his brothers hated him all the more and envied him, while his father rebuked him, yet kept the saying in his heart.

As the story goes on, his cunning brothers sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites, who brought him to Egypt as a slave in the house of a man named Potiphar, an officer of the Pharaoh. Joseph does a great job in Potiphar's house, but because of a false accusation, is sent to prison. God gave him favor with the keeper of the prison, and the keeper put all of the other prisoners under Joseph's care. After much time has elapsed, he divinely interprets others' dreams, and he is suddenly brought before Pharaoh to interpret HIS dream (also from God), which leads to his release from prison...In ONE DAY, Joseph goes from a prisoner to second in command of all of Egypt!

Read the whole story- it is absolutely fascinating! The dreams that Joseph had as a youth were indeed of God, but the cocky kid needed to learn a few things about humility, and God wasted no time in putting him into a series of situations- over a protracted period of some thirteen years- that finally brought him to a humble obedience and an acknowledgement of his God's purposes and ways. Through all of Joseph's years of loneliness and suffering, his Lord was with him. He gave Joseph favor with his masters and kept him safe throughout....

God's dealing with Joseph was very hard and heavy- but it brought about wonderful fruit in his life, it saved the lives of his people, and yes- it brought about an absolute change in the heart of this once boastful child of God!

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Pastor Jim Ewing