For my Pastor’s Corner this month, I am sharing with you a very good devotional I read during Advent, but its message is applicable at any time. The devotional was written by John Piper from his Advent Devotional entitled Joy to the World and it is taken from the December 16th reading. The author applies the life of Joseph in the Old Testament as a type and foreshadowing of the life of Christ and His sufferings on earth.
© Desiring God. Website: desiringGod.org This book was previously published by Desiring God as Good News of Great Joy. Here is a link to the document on the Desiring God website:
https://www.desiringgod.org/books/good-news-of-great-joy
God’s Most Successful Setback
Philippians 2:9-11 says,
“9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
God has always delighted to show His power through apparent defeat. He makes tactical retreats in order to win strategic victories.
Consider the story of Joseph from the Old Testament. Jospeh was promised glory and power in his dream (Genesis 37:5-11). But to achieve that victory, he had to become a slave in Egypt. And as if that were not enough, when his conditions improved because of his integrity, he was made worse than a slave- a prisoner.
But it was all planned by God Himself. For there in prison, he met Pharaoh’s butler, who eventually brought him to Pharaoh, who put him over Egypt. What an unlikely route to glory! But that is God’s way- even for His Son. Jesus emptied Himself and took the form of a slave. He became worse than a slave- a prisoner- and was executed. But like Joseph, Jesus kept His integrity.
And this is God’s way for us, too. We are promised glory- if we will suffer with Him (Romans 8:17). The way up is down. The way forward is backward. The way to success is through divinely appointed setbacks. They will always look and feel like a failure.
But if Jospeh and Jesus teach us anything, it is this: “God meant it for good!” (Genesis 50:20).
You fearful saints fresh courage take
The clouds you so much dread
Are big with mercy and will break
In blessings on your head.
- Hymn written by William Cowper
