Long Left Turn

Long Left Turn

When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying

“This is how your slave treated me,” Potiphar burned with anger.

Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison,

the place where the king’s prisoners were confined.

Genesis 39:19-20

When Joseph’s brothers had had it up to their eyeballs with their younger brother, they dropped him in a dry desert cistern, determined to leave him there to die.  Plans changed when a group of Ishmaelite traders wandered by, and suddenly Joseph was forced to walk his way to Egypt as a slave, chained to the back of a camel caravan. In Egypt, he was sold to Potiphar, captain of Pharaoh’s guard.  God blessed his work for the Egyptian official, and soon Joseph was in charge of his entire estate.  Enter Potiphar’s wife, who wanted to play around with her husband’s handsome slave.  When Joseph repeatedly refused, she accused him of attempted rape, and Joseph landed in Pharaoh’s prison.

At that point, it would be reasonable to think that Joseph would have had a little anger toward God about the turning of his life’s circumstances.  Far, far away from those he loved, reduced to slavery and wrongly accused of a heinous crime, it would not surprise anyone for Joseph to languish in prison, eaten up by misery and bitterness.  No, not this lad.  The pampered prince of Canaan had a far greater depth of character than anyone gave him credit for.  Joseph knew that God was with him, pouring our His blessings even in prison, and he had faith that eventually, God would release him back to his family. Joseph knew one thing above all other:  God would never abandon him.

In the last two and a half months, all of our lives have taken a long, left turn – from the richest to the poorest, oldest to youngest, bravest to most fearful.  For the majority of the world, nothing in our education or experience has prepared us for the coronavirus pandemic.   We are pummeled on every side with bad news/good news of every stripe. But there is One who is greater than any situation or circumstance, and He has promised:

Be strong and courageous.

Do not be afraid or terrified …,

 for the Lord your God goes with you.

He will never leave you nor forsake you.” 

Deuteronomy 31:6

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We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing,

He chastens and hastens His will to make known.

The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing,

Sing praises to His name – He forgets not His own.

Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,

Ordaining, maintaining His kingdom divine.

As from the beginning, the fight we were winning,

Thou, Lord, was at our side, all glory be Thine.

The United Methodist Hymnal No. 131