Today, we continue our series entitled “Laser Focus,” with the point being that we should live with a Laser Focus on the Fixed Purpose God established for us before the world began.
This is the main scripture we will be looking at this year:
(Proverbs 4:25 TPT)
Set your gaze on the path before you. With fixed purpose, looking straight ahead, ignore life’s distractions.
After spending three months laying the foundation for the year, I told you that we would study several key figures in scripture who help us see (by example) how to live our lives focused on God’s fixed purpose. Starting today, we will study Joseph’s life. Since we are dealing with the fact that Joseph had a fixed purpose (revealed to him by God in a dream) and had to wait decades for the dream to come to pass, we will study faith, patience, and unwavering focus for the next few months.
Here are some scriptures to consider.
(James 1:24 TPT)
2 My fellow believers, when it seems as though you are facing nothing but difficulties see it as an invaluable opportunity to experience the greatest joy that you can!
3 For you know that when your faith is tested it stirs up power within you to endure all things.
4 And then as your endurance grows even stronger it will release perfection into every part of your being until there is nothing missing and nothing lacking.
(Galatians 6:9 NIV)
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Setting the Stage.
In the life of Joseph, we see a profound testament to the power of divine focus and the necessity of enduring faith. Joseph’s journey from dream to destiny was not immediate nor straightforward. It was a path riddled with betrayal, injustice, and trials. Yet, it was also a journey underpinned by the unwavering promise of God. Joseph’s ability to remain focused on God’s promise, despite the years and the hardships, teaches us invaluable lessons about the nature of God’s timing and the importance of our faithfulness over the long haul.
— The Necessity of Vision: Joseph’s story begins with a dream, a divine glimpse into his future that God ordained. As we navigate our lives, holding onto the vision God has given us is crucial. It serves as our north star, guiding us through uncertainties and challenges.
— The Test of Time and Trials: Joseph’s endurance through time and trials underscores a critical truth: the fulfillment of God’s promises often comes through processes that test our faith, patience, and commitment. Joseph faced betrayal, slavery, false accusations, and imprisonment. Each phase was not a detour but a critical part of the journey, refining Joseph and preparing him for his ultimate role. This teaches us that our current struggles or delays are not denials but preparations for what is to come.
— Maintaining Focus Amidst Distractions: Joseph’s life was filled with potential distractions — from his brothers’ betrayal to Potiphar’s wife’s false accusations. Yet, he remained steadfast. This level of focus requires a deep-seated trust in God’s plan and the strength to look beyond immediate circumstances.
— The Fulfillment of God’s Timing: Ultimately, Joseph’s dream did come to pass, but in God’s perfect timing. This aspect of Joseph’s story is the most challenging yet the most reassuring for us. It teaches us that God’s timing is perfect, even when it vastly differs from our expectations or desires.
So, what does this mean for you today? We will seek to learn from Joseph’s phases of life. Each phase (paternal, pit, Potiphar, prison, and palace/Prime Minister) is significant to this series and our lives.
1. You must be processed for your purpose.
— We are all called to do different things in life. When we get a revelation of our purpose (meaning that God REVEALS it to us), we often get excited, and understandably so, but most of us have no idea what will be required of us in the process. God is wise to show us the PROMISE, but not the PROCESSING, because many of us would run the other way if He did.
— Joseph received a dream from God when he was just a teenager. He believed the dream. He opened his heart to it. He even shared the dream. But he had no idea what would happen in his life in the space between the PROMISE and the PERFORMANCE. Joseph would ultimately have to wait over 20 years for the dream to come to pass, and 13 of those 20 years were full of processing and pain.
— While I am teaching you on fixed purpose, I also have to be clear that in order to become the man/woman you are called to be, you must be willing to patiently endure whatever is required on the path to your purpose. This is why you need faith and patience. The greater the assignment, the greater the attack and the longer the processing.
— As I close out this point, I will share a personal testimony about this:
Back in the year 2000, I was a young preacher. I had been preaching for a few years, I had led a congregation, and I knew I was called to preach/Pastor for the rest of my life. However, like many who have gone before me, I had to learn to wait on God.
Early one Sunday morning, I was at Marlboro Heights Missionary Baptist Church in Killeen, TX, an hour before our first service of the day (the 8 am service), praying. No one was in the small sanctuary with me. I was alone with God. I cried out to God. I wanted to know why things were not happening faster for me. Like most young people, I wanted things to happen fast. The Lord reminded me of the story of when Moses was born. Although Moses was destined for greatness, he was born with a death sentence from Pharaoh, and his mother had to hide him.
The Lord began to speak to me about Moses and what was happening while his mother hid him. He had me picture Moses as a baby and his mother holding and feeding him. I could see her hiding him and feeding him. She hid him and fed him, and he grew as a result. She kept hiding him, she kept feeding him, and he kept growing. The Bible says that when he could no longer be hid, she released him into the water. When he was released, he was actually being released into his destiny. God saw to it that the same man, Pharaoh, who had signed Moses’ death decree, actually wound up financing the ministry, paying for his education, and preparing him for his life’s assignment.
The key part of the story is that there came a day when Moses could no longer be hid. The Lord said to me, “I am hiding you for your assignment. I am feeding you while I am hiding you, and you are growing. There will come a day when you can no longer be hid. One that day I will release you.” 24 years later, I am still waiting. God has used me to do great things, but in many ways, what God has revealed to me has not even started yet. I am still being processed for my purpose. So when I tell you about faith, patience, and focus; when I teach you to REST in God’s finished work, I am not telling you about something I read. I am telling you about something I live every day. I know what it’s like to have greatness in you, to know you are called to something bigger than what you are experiencing and have to wait until God releases you.
The day came for Moses, the day came for Joseph, the day will come for me, and I believe it will also come for you! But you must develop patience and add it to your faith.
2. The Paternal phase.
When Joseph was at home with his father and brothers, he experienced great favor. I will explain why.
Joseph’s father, Jacob, fell in love with Rachel. Jacob loved Rachel so much that he worked for seven years to marry her. Laban, her father, tricked Jacob on his honeymoon night and gave him Rachel’s sister, Leah, instead. So Jacob worked seven more years for Rachel. Leah gave birth to Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah. But Rachel, the woman he loved, was still barren. So Rachel gave Jacob, her servant Bilhah, to have babies with. Bilhah gave birth to Dan and Naphtali. But Rachel was still barren. Leah then gave her servant to Jacob to have babies with. Zilpah gave birth to Gad and Asher. But Rachel was still barren. Afterward, Leah became fertile again and gave birth to, Issachar, Zebulun, and Dinah. And Rachel was still barren.
After all this time, the Bible says, “God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb. And she conceived and bore a son, and said, “God has taken away my reproach.” So she called his name Joseph, and said, “The Lord shall add to me another son.” (Gen 30:2224 NKJV)
That other son was Benjamin. She prophesied in her season of favor, and God honored her prayer. That’s a quick nugget to always OPEN YOUR MOUTH in the season of favor.
Getting back to Joseph, you can see why Jacob loved the boy. He was the firstborn of the women he truly loved. So he favored Joseph ABOVE the other boys. Jacob gave the boy a coat of many colors. Joseph flaunted the coat before his brothers, and his brothers HATED HIM and HIS COAT!
I will share a few quick nuggets as we close, and I will pick it up from here tomorrow:
a) There will be people who DESPISE YOU because of the FAVOR of GOD on YOUR LIFE! The good news is that THEIR POISON CAN’T STOP YOUR PURPOSE!
b) Not everyone who is WITH YOU is FOR YOU! This is a lesson we must all learn.
c) Favor is not earned; it is given.
d) Favor should be appreciated, but not FLAUNTED!
e) When you walk in God’s favor, people will get frustrated because you receive for free what they have been working hard to earn!
f) Learn how to handle favor. Remain Humble in your prosperity!
g) Joseph had to leave his home because greatness is never developed in comfort.
That’s enough for today.
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I declare that I will walk in the purpose You have established for me with unwavering focus and faith.
Your favor upon my life is a testament to Your grace, and I will carry it with humility.
I acknowledge the process and the waiting, trusting that You are preparing me for greatness, just as You did with Joseph.
I believe every challenge I face is developing strength, patience, and character within me, and these are necessary for my divine assignment.
Father, I understand that not everyone who is WITH ME is FOR ME. Some will not support Your calling on my life, but I rest in the assurance that You are with me and You empower me to fulfill Your purpose.
I accept that my journey may lead me through seasons of discomfort, but these are stepping stones to my destiny.
Father, I am confident that the dreams You have placed in my heart will come to fruition in Your perfect timing and way.
GREATER IS COMING FOR ME because I am living the life You destined before the world began, and I will never give up! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
