Scripture of the day:
Genesis 41:41-45 (EXB)
41 Then the king [ Pharaoh] said to Joseph, “Look! I have put you in charge of all the land of Egypt.” 42 Then the king [ Pharaoh] took off from his own finger his ring with the royal seal on it [his signet ring; a form of identification], and he put it on Joseph’s finger. He gave Joseph fine linen clothes to wear, and he put a gold chain around Joseph’s neck [ all symbols of authority]. 43 The king had Joseph [He made him] ride in the second royal chariot, and people walked ahead of his chariot calling, “Bow down [an Egyptian word of uncertain meaning]!” By doing these things, the king put Joseph in charge of all of Egypt.44 The king said to him, “I am the king [Pharaoh], and I say that no one in all the land of Egypt may lift a hand or a foot without your permission.” 45 The king [Pharaoh] gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah [may mean “the god said, ‘let him live’ ”; showing the Egyptians’ acceptance of him].
Shame RX of the Day:
Man might look to honor the highlight reel, but God honors us when we are real.
There is surely no more compelling rags to riches story than the story of Joseph. From prisoner to second in command in all the land – all in a moment – because of His great God. A snapshot of a person’s life does not truly convey the full story.
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To the fellow prisoners, Joseph was like one of them, confined in prison. To Joseph’s brothers, Joseph’s story was over. But not to God. The shame Joseph must have felt in those prison walls or when he was sold as a slave should have paralyzed him, but Joseph had a few things going for him that helped him to overcome and find an acceptance that caused him to rise above man’s shame. Through the favor, sovereignty and fear of God, Joseph found refuge and victory over the shame cast upon him.
The Favor of God
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Man strives and shames man in an effort to promote self, but God’s promotion is the one that sticks. When others put us down for their own gain, it might end up being the very tool God uses to shape us for something greater. Although it can be painful when we are the recipient of shunning and shame, God’s acceptance liberates us. Joseph was not accepted by his own brothers, but God gave him favor with the highest in command in the land of an enemy nation. When the King of kings accepts us, created beings lose their influence over our lives.
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If we have favor with the King over all, we don’t need anyone else’s. God will open doors for us that He wants opened for His perfect will in our lives. The name the king gave to Joseph demonstrated the acceptance Joseph had by them. A foreign people honored Joseph because Joseph honored God. They saw that Joseph was the real deal. When others try to belittle or shame us, we just need to keep being who God made us to be. Trying to rise above man’s opinion in the flesh will not bear lasting fruit, it will just make us a slave to those who shame us.The prison walls of shame don’t hold us back anymore when our Savior covered all of our shame.
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We don’t need to try to slough off shame others cast on us, anyway. We try to minimize shame in our lives because it humbles us. But the truly humble know the secret of shame – by confessing our shortcomings, we are set free.
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Trying to win man’s honor is futile. Man might look to honor the highlight reel, but God honors us when we are real. Oddly enough, man ends up doing the same. As much as we can seek to cover up our own shame when it is cast our direction, there is just something so powerful about being authentically who we are and not trying to dress it up for the approval of man.
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Stay tuned to tomorrow when we see what other things Joseph had going for him that helped him to rise above shame.
Just going to say this–WORD! Thanks for this great post. Shame can hold us prisoner in ways we don’t realize. Awareness is half the battle. Choosing faith in what Christ has done is the other.
Thank you so much, Ginger! Shame is insidious, but it can be overcome by the word of God! Hallelujah! Thanks for stopping by!