The story of Joseph is the story of a life in the hands of God. At the age of 17 God gave Joseph a series of dreams revealing the call on his life: a call to leadership. As the story unfolds, we see Joseph transformed from the arrogant, foolish and favourite son of his father, Jacob, into a man of wisdom and humility, able to shoulder great responsibility.
Joseph’s life wasn’t easy. His naivety and pride as a teenager caused a great rift between him and his brothers. He was sold into slavery, tempted, accused, and thrown into prison. It would have been easy to lose heart and languish in a pit of despair, but God was with Joseph, and he prospered wherever he was taken.
Life can be hard. The heroes of the Bible all experienced hardship and pain; times when it appeared that life wasn’t going the way that it should. From Moses, David and Ezekiel in the Old Testament to John the Baptist, Jesus and Peter in the New Testament, every person that made a significant contribution to the advancement of the kingdom of God was shaped through adversity.
Paul, the author of most of the letters in the New Testament, suffered greatly. It was Paul who wrote, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28).
As a church family at HBC, we have all been called according to his purpose. As we journey together over the coming weeks, I believe that God wants to reawaken our faith and rekindle our hope that in Him all things are possible. I am expectant that along the way God will remind us of the calling He has spoken over our lives, that He will heal hurts, help us to refocus on Jesus, and step out into our purpose to share the gospel and advance God’s kingdom.