The Bible explodes with numerous personal stories of success and failures, examples of people God chose to preserve for the following generations to see and learn. Their stories remind us that hearing God, embracing His will, and staying true to His purpose often take unexpected turns in the journey. God has used their life stories of boldness and fear, humility and pride, obedience and disobedience to demonstrate redemption, reconciliation, and reward. Their stories provide hope, direction, and even inspiration-from watching how God engages humanity with grace and mercy and by observing how He fills frail humans with divine power and purpose.
The most encouraging stories tell of people who have run to God and not away from His presence and purpose. The most impactful stories demonstrate lives of those who allowed God radical access and involvement. The most inspiring stories show imperfect people who in their failure find forgiveness and, in their weakness, find strength. These stories speak loudly today. They invite us to learn, to walk along, to listen, and to experience life through each occurrence.
Joseph, the focus of this book, is one such personal story. Some accounts in the Bible are brief, glimpsing only into a year, a month, or even a moment of one's life. Joseph's life demonstrates the longer picture of an intense journey through years of trial. His is a dissertation of a persevering progression to maturity-from a baby of destiny to anointed influencer. He was forced into unpredictable, undeserved, and unbearable circumstances. Yet at every stage, his actions indicate that he kept his eyes focused on his God-given dream.
Joseph has always spoken to us of dreams and destiny, of endurance and excellence. In this Joseph account, the focus is on the strength of purpose, showing his determination as he painfully wrestles the tag-team giants of "why" and "wait." The life of Joseph still speaks and teaches to anyone willing to get close enough to listen and learn.
The Joseph journey is one of favor and frustration. His life deserves a careful look to learn how God was moving, teaching, equipping, and preparing a leader to walk in favor and step into destiny. Joseph had every opportunity to quit. He had all the reasons to abandon the dream, forfeit the favor, and surrender to an unfulfilled and frustrated destiny. He had nothing in the natural to encourage or compel his journey. Yet he never gave in to despair. His never-quit attitude through thirteen years of trial is our focus. Joseph teaches how to embrace favor, define excellence, and remain faithful in the journey to a God-given dream.
Joseph will pull you in with inspiration as you identify with him in his fight to experience his promise, his dream, and his destiny. This book travels with Joseph through his life steps, showing similarities of his life with ours. Learning to persevere through challenges can enable you to rise to your destiny, just like Joseph.
