Last day/Better Days

Wow, dear Readers
I am really glad that we have finally been able to reach the last day of the year 2016 and what a year it has been for us.
Sure , there were   victories we enjoyed,several  mountain top experiences unfortunately  valley experiences, some tears have been shed  and sometimes we were left confused but just as we are about to step into another time era, we choose to rememebr all those who did not make it to this day due to several reasons.
Some did so naturally while others have had their lives snatched out by the vold hands of death using wars, accidnets, men of the underworld and name it, totally beyond their control but you and I are here today , for which we are extremely grateful
Remmeber according to Gof's word, it can only get better. Ypour yestwerday is the soil on ehich the seeds of greatness for your fututre has been planted. And it is with this co fidence that I look at 2016 and laugh, no matter what the year has brought because I kbow and am persuaded of better days ahead.
Happy New Year
Grace Tom-Lawyer

Another Joseph

And so in this Christmas period,in keeping with the flow of the season but still in the spirit of our ongoing series, On the Way to the Palace I would like us to examine the life of  one of the  men in the most talked about family in this season. Although  a lot of attention given to Mary and Jesus  we sometimes  forget the great role that Joseph played in the story. He is another Joseph whose son eventually got to the Palace.

“Jacob was the father of Joseph, who was the husband of Mary. Mary was the mother of Jesus, who is called Christ”.- Matthew 1:16 GW God’s Word Translation 

“And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ”.- Matthew 1 :16 KJV King James Version

We are first introduced to this Joseph  as Matthew recounts the genealogy of Jesus..His father’s name was also Jacob, so we see him and his father being namesakes with our original Jacob who had twelve sons one of which was Joseph (Genesis 37:1-2)

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was in this way: When His mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. –Matthew 1:18 King James Version

“This is how the birth of Jesus ·Christ [the Messiah] came about. His mother Mary was ·engaged [pledged; ^Tbetrothed; ^Ca formal agreement between families that required a “divorce” to annul] to marry Joseph, but before they ·married [came to live together], she ·learned she was [or was found/discovered to be] ·pregnant [^Twith child] ·by the power of [through] the Holy Spirit”.-Matthew 1:18-Expanded Bible EXB

The very first thing we are told after that is that he was the husband  of Mary and later verses tell us that Mary was espoused to him.In modern words they were engaged. This to me shows something admirable in his character. He was first engaged and eventually became a husband.

Joseph was a man of commitment. He  become engaged to one woman only; he was not the type that had five different sisters in different cities(some actually have five in  thesame Church!) who were believing that they were in a relationship . He was definitely a man who followed through his commitments as he eventually became Mary’s husband in spite of all odds.

Joseph was a man who always did what was right, but he did not want to disgrace Mary publicly; so he made plans to break the engagement privately.- Good News Translation GNT

The next thing we are told is that he is a just man and when the Bible declares a man to be just, we better take it as the truth. Although Jesus Christ had not yet come and people had not began to live by faith through Jesus ,Joseph is decribed as “just” . Other translations describe him as  “good”, “righteous”,”a  man of stern principle”, ”honourable” .Ask any group of women to give some qualities they would want in a mate and these attributes are usually among the first to be listed.

“Joseph her husband was a righteous man. Because he didn’t want to humiliate her, he decided to call off their engagement quietly”.-Matthew 1:19-Common English Bible CEB

“Joseph, because he was kind and upstanding and honorable, wanted to spare Mary shame. He did not wish to cause her more mbarrassment than necessary”.- Matthew 1:19 VOICE

“Joseph ,the man she was to marry was a good man.He did not want  her to be made ashamed .So he planned to leave her without telling people about it “-Matthew 1:19 Worldwide English WE

“And Joseph her husband, being a just man and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily”.(emphasis mine)-Matthew 1:119 KJ21

Although this man is just, Joseph  is sensitive. He is sensitive to the feelings of Mary and just this little phrase alone (..minded to put her away privily.....)underscores volumes of how much he really loved her. His love was not just based on “as long as I marry you”. Yes she had done something that was outrageous and he was hurt, disappointed and felt betrayed, yet he did not think there was any need to put Mary through any further turmoil. In our day, he did not see the need to go to Facebook or send tweets on Twitter ranting about how disappointed he was and looking for cheap sympathy. Usually this would draw several biased comments from people who are not seeing the other side of the picture and only end up strengthening whatever hurt he may have felt or the need to soothe his ego.Sometimes the simple reason while we choose this course of action is the need for revenge but Joseph did not have any iota of this . He knew what the law demanded but he also knew he had the rights to execute mercy. He could not control what had happened but could definitely control his reactions. He did not leave his thoughts to dwell on his hurts but thought about what it would mean to the woman he loved .This was a man any woman would want any day, He was a protector.

On the Way to the Palace, we need to be people who can be trusted to follow through our commitments and we should not let our doing things right hinder us from being sensitive to others.

.

Merry Christmas,

Grace Tom-Lawyer.

On the Way to the Palace 18-The Pit 2

 “ Now when Joseph reached his brothers, they stripped him of his tunic ,the {distinctive } multicoloured tunic which he was wearing ; 24 then they took him and threw him into the pit. Now the pit was empty,there was no water in it”- Genesis 37:23-24 AMP Amplified Bible

So we see Joseph is thrown into a dry pit by his brothers and the very next verse tells us that they sat down to eat food. It is very possible to be  a few inches from where help is and encounter no response. The action of Joseph’s brothers in this instance goes a long way to show us how far jealousy and hatred had shut their minds against their younger brother. Although they heard his pleas, they refused to listen and left Joseph in a precarious situation in a bid to get rid of him and his dreams.

Contrary to popular opinion on how our lives should be, we see that the life of Joseph ,a man who eventually got to the Palace was not without trouble (Psalms 34:19). He was not constantly always on Cloud 9.He had his ups and downs and honestly, that is just life. Between every mountain top experience are valleys. It is one of these valley experiences that we find here as Joseph encounters a pit.

Joseph is found in this pit because his brothers threw him inside. The man on the way to the Palace may encounter pits as a result of the actions of others or even as a result of his own action. Some pit situations may be self generated due to unwise decisions(Luke 15:11-32). It is important for the man on the way to the Palace to distinguish how he came about being in the pit as this may be a first step to coming out of the pit.

The second thing we see about the pit is that he is left alone by himself having been stripped of his beloved coat and symbol of his father’s love. Physically there is no one with him and emotionally, there is also a void. It is an age long trick of the enemy while we are in the pit, to want us to believe we are actually alone whereas the Scriptures make it clear that God never leaves (physically ) or forsake us(emotionally ) Hebrews 13:5 .On the way to the Palace, as we encounter several pits, it is of utmost importance to remember we are never alone, irrespective of our external circumstances.

The third thing about Joseph in the pit is that we are made to understand is that Joseph was not idle. He was not content to remain   in the pit thus  he lifted up his voice and cried, appealing to his brothers to have mercy. It was certainly not a pit he could come out by himself because if he could , he would have surely done so. But even his pleas for mercy fell on deafened ears(Genesis 42:21). Joseph quickly found out  that although help may seem quite near, the only help we can really get is the help that comes from God(Psalms 121:1),

 The man on the way to the Palace would encounter pits. These may come in different sizes, shapes and seasons. We generally do not choose to enter a pit but sometimes we may by our actions bring pit situations to ourselves. But whichever way we get into the pit, we must remember that we are not alone. A conscious awareness of both the presence of God and continual meditation of the word of GOD are indispensable for the man on the Way to the Palace.

Yours Sincerely,

Grace  Tom-Lawyer.

Happy New Month

⁶ Come, let’s worship and bow down!

    Let’s kneel before the Lord, our maker!
⁷ He is our God,
    and we are the people of his pasture,
    the sheep in his hands.

If only you would listen to his voice right now! Psalm 95:6-7

 Common English Bible (CEB)

And so it appears that we have now arrived at the last month of the year and what a year it has been. There have been many things that have happened that even if the most respected prophet had foretold it, we would have still had doubts.

On all fronts, family, career, nation or even the world  there may have been things we never bargained for but they have come and gone and we are still here.

This year, some of us have lost loved ones that we never thought would happen in forty years, some by sickness and some have just been snatched away by the cruel hands of death through road traffic accidents or men from the underworld.

But before we go on and on about what happened and did not happen, I always like to sit back and say Lord we are grateful. A friend of mine for the past 7 years or more always gives every day of  the month of December to Thanksgiving. She encourages us daily with something for us to be grateful for and if in this last month of the year, you think you have nothing to Thank God, Thank God for me, yes seriously but let me encourage you to Thank God first for yourself, that you are alive and as long as you are alive, no matter what may be happening today, according to God’s word, it will only get better, no matter how crazy it may look now.

Where am I getting that confidence from you may ask and I make it bold to say it is purely  because God’s word says so(Proverbs 4:18).The path of the righteous can only shine brighter and brighter like the dawning of a new day. No matter what is happening in the world today, the dawn always breaks and the day goes brighter and if that has not been broken, God’s covenant word over your life shall come to pass and with that, I welcome you to December, the month we celebrate our saviour’s birth. Come, let us bow and kneel before our Lord our maker, bring him your personal praise today for He is indeed your personal God.

In His Service,

Grace Tom-Lawyer.

Merry Christmas

On the way to the Palace -An Essential Commodity

I remember several years ago in a Miss World contest,one of the contestants was asked to mention three items she would take if left in a desert and given the choice of just three.I found her answer quite intriguing. She replied that she would take water,a blanket and a Bible. In the  last post, we talked about a dry pit meaning a pit without the word of God and  coincidentally just this Sunday, my pastor re-emphasized in his sermon the need for us to read and meditate on the Word of God. 

Trying to move the church to become Bible literate is a challenge for many Pastors today. Somehow the truth is we have not fully realized the importance of God’s word and even when we do, we struggle with the discipline to create time for it. It seems that we have time to do every other thing but read the word of God and sometimes there are legitimate reasons for which we postpone the reading of God’s word till the end of the day when we are already fagged out(assuming you are also a morning person). It does not need a word of knowledge (rather a word from knowledge) to know that in a few minutes of reading the Word in such  a wearied state, we would end up sleeping .And this unfortunately is the case for most of the week for many people.

According to my Pastor, just as we need food for our human bodies to be able to function rightly, we need the Word of God for our spirit man to function as well. The Word of God which has been likened to water has a cleansing and a purifying effect (Ephesians 5:26). Other benefits of the Word  include salvation (James 1:21),deliverance( Psalms 107: 20),healing (Proverbs 4:21-22) ,revival (Psalms 10:25,49-51,107,154),sanctification (Psalms 119 9-11 ), direction (Psalms 119:105) and growth(1 Peter 2: 2).As we dwell in Gods Word, our lives are enriched and produce more fruit (John 15 5- ) .There are several earthly and eternal benefits which abound  when we become rich in God’s word. Spending time in God’s Word enables us to know Him more. The more  of him we know, the richer our experience and the deeper our intimacy (Psalms 42 7, Hosea 6: 3). The more of the light we receive from the word of God and practice (James 1: 22 ),the more we can reflect and become lights in our world (Matthew 5 14-16; 2 Corinthians 3: 18) and rightly divide the Word of truth (2 Timothy 2: 15).

The benefits of studying the word of God are unquantifiable and if it is going to be of any benefit to us, then an epileptic &emergency approach to it must be shunned. The Bible should not be left on the dining table neither should it be opened to a Psalm of protection(Psalm 91) and kept under our pillows before we sleep .This to me seems like we are leaving it for the pillow to read!

Many of us would hardly go off for the day without breakfast and this week I challenge us to“No word, no breakfast”

Love the Word,

Grace Tom-Lawyer.

On the way to the Palace 18-The Pit

 “ Now when Joseph reached his brothers, they stripped him of his tunic ,the {distinctive } multicoloured tunic which he was wearing ; 24 then they took him and threw him into the pit. Now the pit was empty,there was no water in it”- Genesis 37:23-24 AMP Amplified Bible .

­­“When Joseph reached his brothers ,they ripped off the fancy coat he was wearing ,grabbed him and threw into a cistern.The cistern was dry ;there wasn’t any water in it”.- Genesis 37:23-24 MSG The Message 

 It will not always be rosy for the man on the way to the Palace as we see in the life of Joseph. Working so hard to please his father, the only reward he gets is a harsh and brutal treatment from his brothers. They take away his coat of many colours which his father gave before dumping him into the pit. Just before we get into a pit situation(which we see eventually happens ) to everyman on the way to the Palace is an attempt by the enemy to strip us of apparent evidences of the father’s love. 

 Eventually Joseph is thrown into the pit and a salient point  to note about this pit was that it was dry. Several commentaries talk about how deep the pit was and how impossible it would have been for Joseph  to climb out of the pit himself without assistance  but it is important to realize that this pit which could have collected water did not have any water in it.

Figuratively in the Bible, water is usually used to represent the word of God(Eph 5:26-27; (Ezk 36:25; Heb 10:22) which is another essential commodity we should have whenever we find ourselves in a pit situation. In the pit situation we find Joseph, there is no evidence of external water however I believe strongly that he had God’s word and promises  dwelling within him which kept him in the pit.The Word of God that we know is what would most likely see us through the pit situation(John 8:32). 

The pit is not a desirable place and many times when we find ourselves in it, we might be sorely tempted with the shoulda,woulda ,why me question. But rather than living with regrets or of thoughts of what might have been , it is wisdom to  ensure that our pit is not dry and the word of God is dwelling richly in us(Colossians  3:16 ). There is a peace that is present as a result of the knowledge of the word of God which we have(1 Peter 1:3).

Yours in His Love,

Grace Tom-Lawyer.

On the way to the Palace 17 :Before the Pit

“ Now when Joseph reached his brothers, they stripped him of his tunic ,the {distinctive } multicoloured tunic which he was wearing ; 24 then they took him and threw him into the pit. Now the pit was empty,there was no water in it”- Genesis 37:23-24 AMP Amplified Bible .

“When Joseph reached his brothers ,they ripped off the fancy coat he was wearing ,grabbed him and threw into a cistern.The cistern was dry ;there wasn’t any water in it”.- Genesis 37:23-24 MSG The Message 

;”And we have known and believed the love that God hath for us. God is love, and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him”.-  1 John 4:16 KJ21 21^st Century King James Version

"So we know that God loves us. We depend on it. God is love. Anyone who leads a life of love is joined to God. And God is joined to them”.- 1 John 4:16  NIV R New International Revised Version

“And we know (understand, recognize, are conscious of, by observation and by experience) and believe (adhere to and put faith in and rely on) the love God cherishes for us. God is love, and he who dwells and continues in love dwells and continues in God, and God dwells and continues in him”.- 1 John 4:16  AMPC Amplified Version Classic Edition
“So we know the love that God has for us, and we trust that love. God is love. Everyone who lives in love lives in God, and God lives in them”.- 1 John 4:16  ERV English Revised Version

“We have experienced and we have entrusted our lives to the love of God in us. God is love. Anyone who lives faithfully in love also lives faithfully in God, and God lives in him”.- 1 John 4:16 The Voice 

Joseph eventually found his brothers and got close enough to give a scream of joy and excitement at seeing them. Perhaps a hug from one of his brothers would have completed his joy. Instead it appears they gave him a rude welcome and dragged off his coat from him. If Joseph thought this was a joke initially, the reality of the situation hit him when he got thrown into the pit.

It is interesting to note that ­­­­­ one of the first things his brothers did before throwing him into the pit as they planned was to take away his coat of many colours. Let’s imagine the situation a little bit here. Did the brothers ask for the coat nicely or just drag it off him ?I am tempted to believe the latter was the case.Was there a fight as they were doing this or did he willingly give it to them.It must have all seemed strange to Joseph,perhaps he was yet in another dream.

 I must admit that it was only when I began to teach this series that the Holy Spirit pointed my attention to that tiny bit of detail the writer of Genesis had put(Genesis 37: 23).Before Joseph was thrown into the pit, his brothers took away his coat of many colours. That was a coat that may have infuriated them so many times in the house as Joseph wore it about as it showed that he was the preferred son, the  beloved and chosen one.I am so glad that   we are also chosen( 1 Peter 2:9) &beloved(1 John 3:1) . God in his infinite mercy has chosen to make us his children and this makes the devil mad. 

Severally I had glossed over the passage and listened to several sermons on from the "Pit to the prison to the Palace" but did not fully realize that before he got thrown into the pit, he was stripped of the symbol of his father’s love .This is still a tactic used by the enemy, an age long tactic that causes us somehow to begin to doubt the love of God because we sometimes tie his love to the things that surround us..

It is this doubting of the love of God or an absence of the knowledge of the great love the Father has for us( 1 John 4:16) that makes us begin to look for alternatives on the way to the Palace.Surely the enemy suggests to us that God cannot love us that much and perhaps he is too busy running the universe to care about us but how far from the truth this is (Psalms 37:23 New Living Translation NLT).And perhaps even if he does care for others , we are not good enough to demand his complete attention to detail and if only we were better at praying, giving, soul winning etc,God would love us more.

 But the truth is we cannot be loved more by God than we already are presently.And  this love is not based on works because  the Scriptures  tell us that ever before Jesus did anything, as he was baptized, God’s voice from heaven affirmed him saying “This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased(Matthew 3:17;17:5) and the great news is that God loves us as much as he loves Jesus(John 17;23). Period.

 On the way to the palace, we need to realize that the pit or pit situations are inevitable but one of the secrets of successfully coming out of the pit to the palace is to remember that the truth that God’s love for us is eternal (Ephesians 1:5;Jeremiah 31:5; Psalms 103:11).Nothing we can ever do or have done can change his decision to love us(1 John 4:10;Romans 8:35-39).

Yours in His Love ,

Grace Tom-Lawyer 

A life that pleases God

“That you may walk (live and conduct yourselves) in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him and desiring to please Him in all things, bearing fruit in every good work and steadily growing and increasing in and by the knowledge of God [with fuller, deeper, and clearer insight, acquaintance, and recognition.We pray] that you may be invigorated and strengthened with all power according to the might of His glory, [to exercise] every kind of endurance and patience (perseverance and forbearance) with joy”,- Colossians 1:10-11  AMPC(Amplified Bible ,Classic Edition )

“so that you may live lives worthy of the Lord and entirely pleasing to him, being fruitful in every good work and multiplying in the full knowledge of God.- We pray that you will be continually strengthened with all the power that comes from his glorious might; so that you will be able to persevere and be patient in any situation, joyfully”  -Colossians 1:10-11 CJB (Complete Jewish Bible)

 Dear Readers,

I really want to thank you all for allowing yourself to be ministered to by reading this blog.For several months now, we have been considering the life of Joseph, a young man who eventually got to the Palace. What you may not know is that this series was not originally planned as a series but one that the Lord took me through when I was going through a particular difficult period some years ago. As it seemed that there was one bad thing happening after the other, the Lord gave me comfort as I looked at the life of Joseph.

However as we enter a new month, I feel  we should take a little break and share on what I have been learning recently .I have been studying the book of Colossians and do not seem to have moved past chapter 1 verse 10. The verse talks about “ pleasing God”.  This little phrase occurs in a prayer rendered by Apostle Paul in a letter to the saints in Colossae .

Paul heard about these saints from Epaphras (Colossians 1:7 )who had brought the gospel to them. Although he had never seen these believers, Paul challenges us with the fact that he prayed for them daily( Colossians 1:9 ). What is further challenging is the content of his prayer which has been written to admonish us. In addition to the prayers recorded earlier( Colossians 1:9 ), Paul also prayed  that the kind of lives the Colossian Christians  live would be one that would be fully representative  of the gospel andpleasing God . Paul was interested that their faith being expressed in their everyday lives(  Colossians 1:6 ), he wanted them to walk the talk.

This is not the first place Paul talks about pleasing God. In his second  letter to the Corinthians( 2 Corinthians 5:9 ), he actually mentions that one of his goals or rather his main aim is to please God and because this was his own desire, he could pray the same for these saints. In the heart of every true believer and I believe in your heart also , is a longing to please God  and this is usually in response to his love for us. Naturally ,we want to   please those we love .There is something about pleasing them brings us so much delight that we   do not mind whatever the hassle as long as we receive the reward of seeing the contentment and delight on the faces of our loved ones after we have done some things. 

God wants our lives to please him but we must also make a choice to please him at all times. Apostle Paul helps us further in the letter by giving  four different things that must characterize a life that pleases God ( Colossians 1:9-11) .There is much to learn about pleasing God  but it starts first with a desire and hopefully, we shall be considering  a life that pleases God   in more detail in the coming months.

Choosing to please Him,

Grace Tom-Lawyer

On the way to the Palace 15-"the dreamer cometh 2

"They said one to another, “The master of dreams comes!"- Genesis 37:19 MEV Mounce English Version 

¹⁹ The brothers said to each other, “Here comes the big dreamer. ²⁰ Come on now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of the cisterns, and we’ll say a wild animal devoured him. Then we will see what becomes of his dreams!”²¹ When Reuben heard what they said, he saved him from them, telling them, “Let’s not take his life.” ²² Reuben said to them, “Don’t spill his blood! Throw him into this desert cistern, but don’t lay a hand on him.” He intended to save Joseph from them and take him back to his father.

²³ When Joseph reached his brothers, they stripped off Joseph’s long robe,²⁴ took him, and threw him into the cistern, an empty cistern with no water in it.  Genesis 37:19-24 CEB  Common English Bible 

Joseph’s brothers  were jealous  of him,mostly because of   his dreams. Unfortunately they did not deal with this deadly  emotion(Songs of Solomon 2:15;) which we see led them to consider  murdering him. And although we may read the story with shock, sometimes our actions are not very far from theirs.How many times have we killed someone by hating them or speaking words that  damage their reputation( Matthew 5:21;1 John 3:15 ) . While it may not be physical murder, the assassination of another’s character is on the other side of the same  coin as murder.

The primary reason for their wanting to get rid of him was because of his dreams.They not only plan to kill him but also have a plan for a cover up(Genesis 37:19-20).Somehow in the process of doing evil,there is always a need to do more than originally bargained for.They could not just kill him without thinking of a cover up, even if it meant deceiving their father whose love they were craving for.

The unanimous decision to get rid of Joseph this way by the group was challenged by  Reuben,who spoke against the plot(Genesis 37: 21 ). While it may seem laudable that he did this, it is still heartbreaking to see that he refused to take a full stand against evil( Genesis 37:22;1 Thessalonians 5:22 ).He suggested rather that  Joseph  be thrown into the cistern(pit). More light however is thrown into the reason for this suggestion when the writer of Genesis informs us that the intention of Reuben was to save him later(Genesis 37: 22), but alas good intentions have never saved anybody.

 It appears that it is  the values of the company which Reuben kept that eventually influenced him(1 Corinthians 15:33; Proverbs  13:20;22:24-25). It seems he was afraid to tell his brothers outrightly that no harm should be done to Joseph as  he tries to reason with them, reminding them of the fact that Joseph is their brother hence he  should not be  killed(Genesis 37: 23).In an attempt to save Joseph but still remain popular with the crowd,he offered the alternative of throwing him into the cistern ( pit). The man on the way to the Palace is one who will take a stand against evil and make it known(Exodus 23:2).

But if killing Joseph  was not an option, why keep him in the cistern(pit) as Reuben suggested. Would it ever be possible for the relationship to remain thesame if Joseph was rescued from the cistern( pit). Was Joseph not going to tell their father of how he had been thrown into the  cistern(pit) and could the rescue by Reuben not be his own way of getting back to his father’s favour considering that he had offended him greatly by sleeping with  his step mother( Genesis 35:22;49:3-4).

Although the other brothers seem to have taken Reuben’s advice initially, there is no record of a response to his suggestion which may indicate either a begrudging attitude towards his suggestion or a disregard   for their eldest brother.Or perhaps it could be that his brothers read in between the lines knowing that his declaration for the protection of Joseph was not entirely genuine.There is no need to remain in the company of people who do not encourage us to do good as we may find ourselves in a compromising position(Proverbs 12:26; 13:20).

The man on the way to the palace may sometimes seem to be at the mercy of others but God's sovereignty will prevail(Romans 8:28;).On the way to the Palace,we must be careful to ensure that we do not keep a company that makes it difficult for us to do right,rather it should be one that strengthens the gifts and callings of God on our lives(Proverbs 27:17;1 Samuel 18:1-3) . 

        

There is no need to remain in the company of people who do not encourage us to do good as we may find ourselves in a compromising position.Although Joseph's brothers thought his fate was determined by their actions,the hand of God was working behind the scene to bring his purposes  for Joseph to come to  pass(Genesis 45:7; Psalms 105:7) .

Yours in His Service,

Grace Tom-Lawyer. 

On the Way to the Palace 14- "the dreamer cometh"

¹⁷ The man said, “They left here. I heard them saying, ‘Let’s go to Dothan.’” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them in Dothan.

¹⁸ They saw Joseph in the distance before he got close to them, and they plotted to kill him. ¹⁹ The brothers said to each other, “Here comes the big dreamer. ²⁰ Come on now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of the cisterns, and we’ll say a wild animal devoured him. Then we will see what becomes of his dreams!” Genesis 37:17-20

  There is a certain joy that comes when we accomplish goals we have set out(2 Timothy 4:7). Sometimes we may not meet these goals according to our time schedules and although they may be well behind time, the joy of accomplishment is usually better than the bitter gall taste of having not tried at all.

Joseph  must have experienced this joy when he  eventually found ­­­his brothers, although this meant  travelling further  northwards. He accomplished the task he set out to do because the man on the way to the Palace  is a finisher and one who  can be trusted with responsibility.

But although Joseph took great pains to find his brothers, his extra mile effort was not appreciated. The man on the way to the Palace is one that recognizes that not all his extra efforts  will be appreciated.

Imagine Joseph bursting with joy to meet his brothers after a long search.Instead of a hug, a  rather unexpected  unpleasant welcome was what he received.His brothers  saw him  from afar and began to contort a murder plan.

How did these brothers who probably played with each other and carried baby Joseph at one point reach the state where they start a murderous plot. 

We are given a clue by the writer of Genesis in an  earlier recount. Several verses prior to this, we are told the brothers of Joseph hated him and were jealous of him. Although there was hardly any physical manifestation of Joseph’s  grandiose dreams, they believed in them strongly enough to plan to kill their brother .The brothers of Joseph did not deal with their jealousy and this eventually led to murder.They got to the point when they could not stand their brother any more. Somehow I wonder if they spent time on the fields talking to each other about Joseph or will I say gossiping about Joseph, talking about what their father did, his latest display of love in a mocking manner. 

Their words on seeing him enlighten us as to what the real issue was . With three little words,they state the problem as Joseph a “the dreamer cometh.”The translation above says the big dreamer cometh. The man on the way to the Palace is recognized by his dreams. These dreams shape his life, decisions and actions and bring restrictions to him. The dreams of the man on the way to the Palace  both  identify and limit him.

The brothers believed so much in his dreams and did not want the position they saw themselves in the dream. Rather than recognizing that God in his sovereign wisdom had chosen Joseph, they acted like they are more in competition.The man on the way to the Palace should realize that not everyone including relatives would applaud him.He will acquire enemies even within his household where many would prefer to compete rather than complement him.

The man on the way to the Palace must be emotionally mature so as not to be dissuaded by the mocking of others as they recognize his dreams. The size of a dream does not isolate it from mockery.  No dream however will be accomplished without an effort by the dreamer(Ephesians 3:20).He must be wholly devoted to his dreams till people can recognize him from afar off because of them, as they did Joseph, a man who eventually got to the Palace.

Yours in His Service,

Grace Tom-Lawyer.

On the Way to the Palace 13-Vulnerability& 3 other attributes

¹³ And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I¹⁴ And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.¹⁵ And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou?¹⁶ And he said, I seek my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they feed their flocks.¹⁷ And the man said, They are departed hence; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan. (Genesis 37:13-17) New Living Translation

¹⁷ “They have moved on from here,” the man answered. “I heard them say, ‘Let’s go to Dothan.’”

So Joseph went after his brothers and found them near Dothan.-New International Version NIV

Joseph was called and asked by to  his father to go and check the welfare of his brothers .They were living in Hebron which was about 50miles away from Shechem. This must have been of great inconvenience to him but this man on the way to the palace was ready to do so.When Joseph got to Shechem, he  however did not find his brothers. It appears that as he continued the search for his brothers, he may have gotten  himself lost.

The next verse introduces Joseph as wandering when he was found by a certain man(Genesis 37:15). Although this man is unnamed, he proves to be of immense help to Joseph as we are told that he was found by him.

This certain man then asked Joseph the million dollar that we sometimes not want to be asked so we do not look at stupid  but when Joseph was asked, he answered truthfully  and said he was looking for his brothers.

The man on the way to the Palace is a man that is vulnerable enough to ask questions.He is not afraid to admit he does not know. Pride does not get in the way . It takes humility to learn anything(Proverbs 11:2,Psalms 25:9). Sometimes rather than simply admitting our ignorance, we subtly avoid it by giving spiritual answers. But for Joseph, the man on the Way to the Palace he was not ashamed to ask and because he asked, he was redirected. This saved him the many hours and time he would have spent in vain  searching all over Shechem especially as his brothers had left for Dotham. Joseph must have thanked the man while he redirected his search.

Joseph did not ignore the certain man because he was unknown, he reckoned that the man was God sent.The man on the Way to the palace is a man that recognizes destiny helpers. That certain man was a destiny helper whose conversation with Joseph helped him to  redirect  his steps. This certain man told Joseph that his brothers had moved to Dotham(Genesis 37:17).

Now Dothan was another 15 miles up north from Shechem. We see the heart of Joseph here as he moves further on to find his brothers.

It is easy to gloss over these facts but it takes a servant’s heart and one who really wants to do something to go another 15 miles. Joseph may have had his plans for the week when he left Hebron from Shechem, he may have calculated how long it would take and made some appointments which would all probably have gotten cancelled because he still had to  travel further north. Let us also remember that all of this travelling was not to get to a  sale of coats of many colours. It was all to go and check the welfare of his brothers who had not hidden their dislike of him.

The man on the Way to the palace is also someone who moves with the present word of God. When Joseph left home, his father had told him to go to Shechem(Genesis 37:14) but when he got to Shechem and did not find them, he was flexible enough to get the next word to move him to accomplish his mission. There are so many times we may be running with a word we heard several months ago forgetting that faith comes from hearing which is a present continuous tense(Hebrews 11:1). The man on the Way to the Palace must be ready at any time to check on what God is saying .

Joseph was also not dissuaded by the fact that the brothers had moved from Shechem. He was determined to fulfil the mission his father had given(Genesis 37:17). The man on the way to the Palace is a finisher. It does not matter the task at hand but once it has been committed to his hands, he can be trusted to get the job done. He does not allow seemingly obstacles to stop him from accomplishing his goals.

In this post, we have seen that the man on the way to the Palace is one that is vulnerable enough to ask questions,is one who hears a present word from God ,a man   that recognizes  destiny helpers and  certainly a  finisher.

Yours in His Service,

Grace Tom-Lawyer. 

On the Way to the Palace 12 -Availabilty

 “And his brethren went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem .And Israel said unto Joseph, Are not thy brethren feeding the flock in Shechem? Come , and I will send thee unto them, And he said to him,here I am”- Genesis 37: 12-13 -King James Version (KJV)

 In a well-furnished kitchen there are not only crystal goblets and silver platters, but waste cans and compost buckets—some containers used to serve fine meals, others to take out the garbage. Become the kind of container God can use to present any and every kind of gift to his guests for their blessing-2 Timothy 2:21-26 The Message (MSG)

Although Joseph is the favourite son of Jacob, Jacob’s care for his other children is evident in the above conversation between him and Joseph. Some commentators have said that Jacob was a  shrewd businessman and as such, he wanted to know what was going on with his sons and his investments.While  we may not be able to judge Jacob’s motives for sending Joseph it is commendable that  he cared about the state of his children and his flocks. He did not leave it to chance. It is necessary for the man on the way to the Palace to emulate this and be  one who knows the state of his flock.

 It is also of note here that the writer of Genesis decides to use the name Israel here instead of Jacob. Throughout the book of Genesis, we see an interchange between the names of Jacob and Israel and it appears that Jacob is used usually  when the flesh is having the upper hand while Israel  is used when the spirit is more in control.

Since Israel is used in this case, I will like to infer that this errand was a divine one and the sensitivity of the man on the way to the Palace is seen again.Joseph responded appropriately.

This conversation between Joseph and his father reveals yet another virtue we must emulate if we will eventually get to the Palace like Joseph.

When  Israel (Jacob) called Joseph, he gave a brief recount of where his others sons were , expressed his concern for their safety  and asked Joseph to go and search for them.

Shechem was not anything less than 50 miles from where the family originally lodged  in Hebron and would require at some  days journey, not without inconvenience .However when Joseph was called to undertake this task, his reply is noteworthy –"Here I am ".These three words denote  Availability ,another characteristic of the man on the Way to the Palace.

The man on the way to the Palace is available, there is a readiness on his part to be sent, a willingness to be used .It does not matter to the man on the way to the Palace the task at hand rather it is the drive to please his master that is overwhelming.

Joseph said “Here I am” to his father’s request and did not end there but backed up his words by actually going to look for his brothers in Shechem. This is in contrast to the call of Moses whose encounter with God  essentially could be summarized as ”Here I am but send Aaron”  at the burning bush(Genesis 3).

The availability of the man on the way to the Palace is one that is not selective,when Paul was addressing Timothy , he said to him to become the kind of vessel God can use to do any and every kind of work (2 Timothy 2:20-21 The Message).

On the way to the Palace, there is no work too little or too big for the man, rather it is the desire to please his master that is the overriding factor.It does not matter whether the errand is to be done in secret or in the open . Whether it receives the applaud of men or not, the man on the way to the Palace is one that readily follows the beckoning of his master.No wonder Paul said that we make it our aim to please him( 2 Corinthians 5:9).

The availability of the man on the way to the Palace is backed by his actions. He is a doer ( James 1:22) Joseph did not only say” here I am” but he followed it up by going to look for his brothers.

Sometimes our words of commitments are not backed up by actions and this is not a new problem. Jesus illustrated this when he gave a parable to illustrate which son was eventually obedient in the parable of the two sons who were sent. One said I will go but didn’t but the other said I will not go initially but he eventually did( Matthew 21:28-32 ).

Availability is a mark of the man who will eventually get to the palace. He may not have all the qualifications but his readiness to be used will attract the grace in his life needed to carry out whatever task that is required(Paul the least qualified-1 Corinthians 15:9-10;Ephesians 3:8).

Grace Tom-Lawyer,

Yours in His Service.

“On the Way to the Palace” is the ongoing series of “Feasting at the Table” &this  continues on  Peace &Joy Radio every Saturday 11am GMT.