The Turn-Around

God can write a story like no other can. His sovereign ability to reach into a person’s future and erect a monument of victory is incomparable. He literally delights in crowning the lowly as prince, and in using the stumbling blocks that have been placed in our paths by others as stepping stones to a throne of His making. 

It’s amazing how he could pull a life from the pit and transform it in such a way that it becomes unrecognizable to the enemy. Such was the life of Joseph, the eleventh son of Jacob. From the pit, to the prison, to the palace, Joseph meandered his way to destiny despite the roadblocks he encountered.
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God glorifies His great name in the time of opposition because He specializes in the principle of resurrection. The concept of a thing living again after it had been presumed dead is a wonderful reality in the mind of God. In other words, “It’s not over until God says it’s over.” Certainly, the very life of Christ upon the earth testifies and confirms that there is no opposition – whether it be in the form of a pit or in the form of a grave – that can stop God from reaching down and lifting a life to the place that He has destined for it.

You see, God takes great pleasure in moving a person from the depths of seeming defeat and ushering them to the pinnacle of success. He delights in bringing life out of death and in making “the stone which the builders rejected” into the chief cornerstone (Ps. 118:22). Yes, it is His utmost delight to move beyond your circumstances and do the impossible on your behalf. As a matter of fact, He will ‘flip the script’ until your enemies become your footstool (Ps.110:1) and those who fought against you turn and pray for you to bless them (Ex. 12:32). Indeed, resurrection, restoration, metamorphosis of status, and newness of life are prominent spheres of His mighty dominion.

For this reason, we see Joseph, though severely mistreated in his youth, rising to great power in the very place he was sent to die. He became governor in the land of his captivity and ruled over those to whom he was sold as a slave. Without doubt, Joseph must have understood that though he was ‘persecuted’, he was not ‘abandoned’; and though he was ‘struck down’, he was ‘not destroyed’ (2 Cor. 4:9). Thus, he remained faithful to God and to his vision, and was buoyed by both as God worked behind-the-scenes of his life. In the end, Joseph, the Hebrew slave of the Egyptians, died as Joseph, the Hebrew ruler of the Egyptians.

God finds great pleasure in turning the tables in your favor. His joy is contained in ensuring that you end well. And so now may the God of the ‘turn around’ bring restoration and increase to every area of your life; and may your tomorrow be exceedingly greater than your yesterday. 

Scripture Of The Day: "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." - Jeremiah 29:11

Where Are You?

An important key to letting go of the past and reaching your full potential is putting yourself in an environment where the seed of your dreams can grow. I know people who are extremely talented. They have incredible potential. But they insist on hanging around the wrong sorts of people.

If you are close friends with people who are lazy and undisciplined, people who don’t have great dreams, people who are negative and critical, they will rub off on you. Moreover, that environment in which you place yourself will prevent you from rising any higher. You cannot hang out with negative people and expect to live a positive life. If all your friends are depressed and defeated and have given up on their dreams, make some changes. Let’s be honest: You’re probably not going to pull them up; more likely, if you continue to spend too much time in their presence, they will pull you down.

Certainly, you love your friends; you can pray for them and try to encourage them to make positive changes in their lives, but sometimes the best thing you can do is break away from negative people and put yourself in a healthy positive, faith-filled environment. This is extremely critical, because it doesn’t matter how great the potential in the seed, if you don’t put it in good soil, it will not take root and grow.

I’ve had people tell me, “Joel, I don’t know why I’m drawn to abusive people. I get out of one bad relationship and into another one that’s twice as bad. I know it’s not good for me. But I just can’t leave. I’d feel guilty.”

I usually answer, “No, you have a responsibility to keep yourself healthy and whole. God has entrusted you with His talents, with His dreams. And it may be painful, but the best thing you can do is get away from somebody who is a constant drag on your spirit. Don’t allow somebody to treat you that way. You are extremely valuable. You are made in the image of Almighty God.”

“Joel, if I take a stand and set some boundaries, that person may leave, may walk away.” In truth, that would be the best thing that could ever happen. I heard somebody say there’s something called “the gift of good-bye.” That means when somebody who is pulling you down chooses to leave, you may not realize it, but that person just did you a great favor. Don’t look back; instead keep looking forward. Get ready for the new thing God wants to do in your life.

Christian Virtues

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Colossians 3:12-14 (New International Version)