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Right Place, Wrong Time: Lessons from the Life of Joseph

Listen to the full message with presentation HERE!

Have you ever felt like you were in the wrong place at the wrong time? Like no matter how much you were trying to do the right thing, life just wasn’t lining up the way you expected?

That question came to mind when I was studying a familiar story in the Bible—Joseph, starting in Genesis 37. Joseph’s story covers 14 chapters, which is a lot compared to other people in Scripture. Some figures we meet for a verse or two, some get a chapter, but Joseph’s life unfolds in detail.

I can’t cover every verse here (though it’s worth reading Genesis 37–50 straight through—it’s one of the most gripping narratives in the Old Testament). Instead, let’s pull out a few lessons from Joseph’s journey.

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1. Not Everyone Will Be Excited About Your Dreams

Joseph was already on thin ice with his brothers. He had a special coat, he was his father’s favorite, and yes—he was a tattletale. (The Bible literally says he brought a “bad report” about his brothers back to their father.)

Then Joseph shared his dream about his brothers’ bundles of grain bowing down to his. Unsurprisingly, that didn’t go over well.

Here’s the lesson: not everyone is going to celebrate your dreams. Sometimes the people closest to you—family, friends—may not understand or support what God is doing in your life.

And that’s okay. Their lack of excitement doesn’t cancel God’s plan.

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2. Obedience Doesn’t Mean Easy

Joseph obeyed his father when he went to check on his brothers. He was doing the right thing, but obedience didn’t keep him out of trouble. His brothers saw him coming and immediately plotted to kill him.

Being in God’s will doesn’t mean smooth sailing. Paul obeyed God and still ended up shipwrecked (Acts 27). Sometimes obedience comes with setbacks. But setbacks don’t mean failure—God is still at work.

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3. God’s Blessing Isn’t Limited by Circumstances

Joseph was sold into slavery in Egypt. From the outside, it looked like he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. But Genesis 39 tells us, “The Lord was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did.”

Potiphar noticed. Joseph rose to the top in his household.

This shows us that God’s favor isn’t confined by our situation. You may be in a job you dislike, surrounded by people who don’t share your values, or in a season that feels heavy—but God’s blessing is not limited by your circumstances.

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4. God Is with You, Even in the “Wrong Place”

After refusing Potiphar’s wife, Joseph ended up in prison. From slavery to prison—it seems like a downward spiral. Yet the Bible says, “The Lord was with Joseph in the prison and showed him his faithful love.” (Genesis 39:21)

Even there, Joseph prospered.

This is a powerful reminder: no matter how “wrong” your situation feels, God has not abandoned you. Isaiah 43:2 says, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you… when you walk through the fire, you will not be burned.”

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5. Your Success Comes from God, Not People

Joseph helped interpret dreams for Pharaoh’s cupbearer, who promised to remember him—but forgot for two whole years.

Two. Full. Years.

Joseph wasn’t overlooked because God forgot about him. He was waiting on God’s timing.

Psalm 75:6–7 says, “For exaltation comes neither from the east nor the west… but God is the Judge: He puts down one, and exalts another.”

Your promotion, your breakthrough, your open door—ultimately, it doesn’t come from people. It comes from God.

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6. Our Gifts Are for God’s Glory

Finally, when Joseph stood before Pharaoh, he could have boasted. After all, he correctly interpreted dreams before. But instead, he said, “I cannot do it, but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.” (Genesis 41:16)

That’s humility. That’s perspective.

Our gifts aren’t for self-promotion—they’re for God’s glory. 1 Peter 4:10–11 reminds us that every gift we have is meant to serve others and point back to Him.

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Final Thought

Joseph’s story is full of ups and downs—family betrayal, slavery, false accusations, prison, and eventually, leadership in Egypt. Through it all, we see a God who is faithful, present, and sovereign over timing.

So if you feel like you’re in the wrong place at the wrong time, remember Joseph. Obedience doesn’t guarantee comfort. People won’t always celebrate your dreams. But God’s presence, blessing, and timing are never off.

He’s with you. He has good things for you. And He will make everything beautiful in His time.

Reflections

As we move into a new week, let’s remember that every small act of faithfulness adds up. Sometimes progress feels slow, but God is always working behind the scenes. Our role is simply to stay faithful, to show up, and to trust Him with the results.

Closing Prayer

Father, thank You for the gift of a new week. Help us to walk in Your strength and not our own. Remind us that even in the small things, You are present and working for our good. Give us endurance when we feel weary, peace when we feel overwhelmed, and joy in every moment. May our words and actions bring You glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Spiritual Spring Cleaning

”Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,“
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12‬:‭1‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I woke up this morning and did what I always do first thing: made my coffee. After that, I usually stand in front of the window to let the sun hit my face and to prayer silently for a few moments.

This morning, I heard birds chirping, which is a sound I miss during the sometimes long winters here in Wisconsin. But the birds are back earlier this year thanks to a record breaking warm winter.

Spring has come early and for many people that spurs the urge to do some spring cleaning. I try to keep a good handle on the house and send old things out as new things come in but I have some spring cleaning to do also.

I don’t know what it is about spring that gives us the motivation to start getting rid of things but it reminds of Hebrews 12:1. “Let us throw off everything that hinders…”.

Spring cleaning is a chance for many to throw out physical things that hinder. Maybe they hinder access to a part of a room or the ability to comfortably have guests over. Maybe they hinder us from moving forward from a painful past. But our homes aren’t the only thing in our lives that need regular maintenance.

God wants us to throw off the spiritual things that hinder us. He wants us to do a sweep for unforgiveness, jealousy, negativity, and a host of other things that clutter our spirits.

We can only do this with the help of the next verse. Hebrews 12:2 tells us to fix “our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” When we fix our eyes on him, we can focus on who he is and strive to be more like him.

This year, if you plan to clean out the attic or garage or basement, take some time to ask God what areas of your spiritual life could use some spring cleaning so you can run the race he’s naked out for you.

Have a great week!

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All You Need

I like to plan. I make a to do list for the month, week, and day. I wish I was more spontaneous but this is how God made me. I don’t like when things pop up in the week that are not on my list already and as a result, sometimes struggle to adapt.

Last week, my son fractured his toe at taekwondo. It was a pretty rough fracture but he is doing ok now. Thank God he doesn’t need his toe to game! But handling all that went with his injury was a lot of stress for me. Not just because it wasn’t on my to do list, but I don’t handle my kids being in pain very well. I probably cried more than he did by the end of it!

But as I was in the middle of everything last week and feeling overwhelmed, this verse came up in our daily scripture calendar. “And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others,” 2 Corinthians 9:8.

I know Jesus told us to ask God for our daily bread, but often I want to know the meals for the whole week. This scripture reminded me that whatever happens, planned or not, God is in control and he’s given us everything we need to handle what each day brings. I was able to encourage my son with this as he was having his toe readjusted and was afraid.

We don’t know what the day will bring but God does and he is faithful to walk with us every step of the way. I think of Shadrach, Meschack, and Abednego in the fiery furnace. God didn’t just yell in to the fire, “You’ll be ok!! Just wait it out!”. He got in the fire with them. And he is with us. It’s who he is. Emmanuel.

Have a wonderful week!

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Happy New Year

I love beginnings. The beginning of the day, week, month or year all get the same amount of excitement from me. I’m one of the weird people that wake up Monday morning, ready to go!

Like most years, I’ve set a few intentions for 2024. One is to become more consistent on this blog. But I have a good reason as to why it’s been on the back burner. I just published my first book at the end of last year and am working on a launch in March. I wrote in my last post that you can do everything you want, just not all at once.

Now that the book’s done, I have a little more time for creative writing and insight. I’ll be sharing the book here soon! I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy New Year and I pray God’s best for you in 2024!

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Starting Again

I haven’t blogged in almost a year. And I’ve missed it. Life has picked up and blogging and podcasting have been on pause. But I’m ready to slowly add them back in. I firmly believe we can do everything we want to do. Just not at the same time.

I can be a homeschooling mom, volleyball coach, worship leader, marathoner, podcaster, blogger, author, or any other hats that I wear with pride. I just can’t be them all at the same time. We have to prioritize what we can handle in each season, otherwise, we will begin to despise the roles we have chosen.

Over the past few months away, I have been focusing heavily on finishing my book, kids’ activities and homeschooling. And have been making great progress in these areas. They are a bit on autopilot now which is allowing me to slowly incorporate blogging and podcasting again.

I don’t know how often I will write or record, but I’m starting again. Starting again or starting over can be hard. It’s hard not to compare to what’s already happened and easy to fear what might. But I’ve decided I’d rather start and see than wait and wonder.

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Th Sufficiency of His Grace

I have fallen off the wagon a bit. I guess I haven’t fallen completely off but I’m dragging behind the wagon by my ponytail! The past few weeks have been busy with sickness, houseguests, back to homeschool, activities, basement renovation, and a host of other obligations, both fun and not as much.

This who know me, know that I’m a bit of a time management guru. I’ve given myself that title but few would disagree. I pride myself in being productive but over scheduled. Being organized but flexible. So when things get a little off plan/schedule my usual inclination is to get frustrated and irritable.

But as a Christian seeking God and desiring to me like him and not being conformed to the patterns of this world (Romans 12:2), I’m learning that every issue, natural or spiritual, has a biblical solution. When I feel overwhelmed by life and I all have to do, I remember that 1 Peter 5:7 invites me to cast my cares on Jesus. Because guess what.. He cares about me!

When I find myself entertaining negative thoughts, I employ Philippians 4:8 and think on things that are pure and lovely and true. Lately, I’ve been depending on 2 Corinthians 12:9, where the apostle Paul reminds us that God’s grace is sufficient. His strength is made perfect in our weakness. I don’t have to do it all or be it all, but instead can rest in the grace of God and allow his grace to help focus on what really matters.

There will always be things to do, laundry to fold, houses to clean, pets to care for, kids to drive around, but we NEVER have to do these things in our own strength. That’s why so many people are burned out. We can do them in the strength of Lord. We can do them by giving ourselves grace and accepting the grace of God.

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Return, Remove, Restore

If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored:
    If you remove wickedness far from your tent… Job 22:23

This week is a busy week for me. I’m getting my message ready for our women’s meeting at church which is returning from a summer break. I’m also preparing for homeschool to restart next week, and if that wasn’t enough, we just got a new kitten the day we returned from vacation! But I’m in a planning, back to school type of mood so my message for the ladies this Friday will tie in with that!

I love that God can use whatever we have going on to speak to us and maybe even help someone else. I’ve been reading a passage in the book of Job for a lot of the summer. It’s found in Job 22 (verses 21-28). My pastor/father in law quotes this passage often and it has become one of my favorites, but I want to zero in on one verse. The 23rd verse gives us a formula for restoration.

Math is one of my favorite subjects. It can be really simple, IF you know the basics. Math was not my son’s favorite subject. When we started homeschooling, he would dread math time. But as we slowed down and focused on the basics of memorizing math facts and seeing the patterns in them, he began to love it! He loved that there are rues to math that apply every time.

As I was ready this passage in Job, I began to think about patterns in the Bible. The children of Israel (yes, them again!) had a pattern they would fall into often. Get complacent in their faith, turn to idols and instant gratification, fall into sin, regret their disobedience and the consequences of it, cry out to God, get forgiven and restored, repeat.

This happened over and over and then over again in the Bible. But God’s response was always the same. His formula always worked and it’s found in Job 22:23. RETURN, REMOVE, RESTORE.

If the people would return their hearts to him and remove wickedness from their lives, he would restore them. This is the same promise he gave Solomon in 2 Chronicles 7:14. If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. God commanded his people to return to him (pray and seek), to remove wickedness from their lives (turn from their wicked ways), and he would restore them (I will hear from heaven and forgive their sin and will heal their land).

In the spirit of back to school, here is our formula: Return + Remove = Restoration

The formula has worked throughout scripture. Look at the prodigal son. He returned to his father, he removed his pride and arrogance, and he was restored to his position as a son. But there are also instances were people tried to only use part of the formula. Many of the kings in the Old Testament were counted as doing right in the eyes of the Lord. They returned to him and encourage the people to do so. But I noticed a phrase that kept reappearing: “But they failed to remove the high places”. The kings would return to God but would to get rid of the places of idol worship that would distract the people of God from serving him fully.

Many of us don’t physically go to the temple of an idol and make sacrifices. But everyday, we make spiritual sacrifices while we worship at the alters of busyness, technology, complacency, greed, discontent, criticism and whatever else I didn’t name that fits you! If we want to see restoration in a certain area of our life, we have to apply the formula. And yes, it always works!

In your finances: RETURN your tithe to the Lord and learn how to be a good manager of what he’s given you. REMOVE unnecessary spending, overspending, debt and a poverty mentality and prioritize saving and investing and RESTORE your ability to experience financial freedom.

In your health: RETURN your body to God as a temple you want to take care of. REMOVE unhealthy eating habits and negative patterns surrounding food. Your health will be RESTORED and you can live a life full of energy and unnecessary heath issues.

In your walk with God: RETURN to God by daily prayer and reading his Word. REMOVE distractions keeping you from spending time with him (turn your phone off, go outside for a walk, put in your noise cancelling headphones!). See your spirit restored and your faith grow.

I could go on forever, but you get the point! God wants his children to prosper and be in good health. He wants us to serve him and others and be a blessing to everyone we encounter. And we do that by living restored, redeemed lives. What are do you need restoration in? Take some time and ask the Holy Spirit to help you discover it. I need to restore my daily time with God. I’ve allowed the busyness of summer activities to distract me from some of the habits and routines I normally have in place. I’ll be asking the Holy Spirit to help me to be consistent in my time with God. Let me know in the comments what the Holy Spirit is guiding you to restore.

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He Will Restore

Listen to this blog post on my podcast Seeking God, Loving Others.

I have been stuck in the book of 2 Kings with the Shunammite woman for months now. I suppose “stuck” is not the best choice of words. Stuck has a negative connotation and implies that someone is in a place they’d rather not be. So I’ll say that I’ve been “stationed” in the book of 2 Kings. There is a purpose, a responsibility assumed when someone is stationed, like in the palace guard or in the army. I feel like I can’t move on from this story because God keeps showing me more things the longer I stay there. (That’s a whole different message!)

As I get ready to leave the land of Shunem, I wonder where God will take me next. The final installment of this series ends with the last event recorded from the Shunammite woman’s life. In 2 Kings 8:1-6, the Shunammite finds herself in need of one last miracle from God. 

The Shunimmate woman was instructed by Elisha to go and find somewhere to live because there was going to be a famine lasting seven years. So the woman listened, went with her family and they stayed in the land of the Philistines for seven years.

When the seven years were over she came back to her home and land and found that it had been seized. We don’t know a lot about why her land was taken but theologians think that during times of famine, when many houses and land were abandoned the king would often seize land and use it for whatever he needed. 

Also, in the book the 1 Samuel when Israel first asked for a king, Samuel warned them against it because a king could do whatever he wanted. He could take their children, their animals, and their land so this was also just one of the consequences of having a king rule over Israel instead of allowing God to be their king. 

When the Shunammite returns to find her land has been taken, she decides to go to the king to beg for her house and land to be returned to her.

Have you ever listened to God’s instructions and things got worse? Don’t kick me out of the church yet? I have. And if you’re honest, you probably have experienced this too. But let me assure you, obedience to God is always the best option, no matter the outcome.

God will not ask us to obey in an area where he does not already have a plan. We sometimes think that everything is always linear but regardless of the ups and downs, God is always working things out for our good. We don’t obey God simply to get blessed even though that is a reward for obedience.

1 John 5:3 says, “In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands.” We obey God because we love him. When I ask my kids to do something for me, they don’t wait to see what I will do for them first. They just do it. I may not reward them for days or weeks! I may even have to fuss at them later that day, but their obedience is not based on what they expect to receive but on their love and respect for me.

The Shunammite woman could have been upset that her land was taken from her but she had an experience of God always meeting her needs so I have to think she knew he could do it again.

As the woman is making her way to the king, the king is watching TV. Not really. He was having Gehazi, Elisha’s servant, tell him about all the things that Elisha had done. So he was listening to a podcast. Gehazi was telling him about the time that Elisha raised the Shunammite’s son back to life, when in the middle of the story, she walks in the door.

Unbeknownst to Gehazi, he was acting as an intercessor for the Shunammite. He was opening a door for her to receive favor from the king. Doors are being opened that you know nothing about.

The Shunammite didn’t know that she had an intercessor. She had someone that was already preparing the groundwork for her to come in and make her request. And we have someone interceding for us. 

“Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” (Romans 8:34)

Jesus is always already putting things in motion for us. He’s moving some people out of the way and putting others where they need to be.

I think about the story of Daniel when he was fasting and praying for 21 days. In Daniel 10:12, the angel tells Daniel “Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them.”

The answer to your prayers are already on the way. You may not see them, you may not know them, you may not know where they’re coming from. But they are already on the way. God has great things in store for you and he wants to bless you in ways that you haven’t even imagined.

When the Shunammite finished telling her story, the king assigned an official to her case and told him to give her back everything that belonged to her. She didn’t have to beg or plead or cry. All she had to do was show up. 

The things you are begging for God wants to bless you with (and more). Not only did the king return her home and her land to her, he gave her all the income made from the land for the last seven years. She got more than she was planning to beg for! God knows how to bless his children. He knows what we need and how to get it to us.

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20)

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Everything is Alright

Listen to this blog post on my podcast Seeking God, Loving Others.

A few years ago, my husband and I were getting ready to close on our home is Southeast Wisconsin. We had moved from Houston, Texas to be closer to his family and after months of living in an apartment so small that I could see everyone no matter what room they were in, we were excited to get a bit more space. The day of the closing, we were sitting in the car when he got a call from the lender that they were unable to verify his employment and needed a contact to do so before we closed.

No problem, right? Well, he was set to resign in 5 days. And he didn’t have another job! I could see his demeanor change. At the time, I didn’t know what was going on. I asked him if everything was alright and he said, “Yes. Let’s go in the bank.” To make a long story short, his employer verified he worked there, we closed on the home, and despite resigning 3 times, he now works remotely for the same company.

There has been a lot of resistant towards positive confessions or affirmations. Many people think declaring positive statements are naive or just wishful thinking. I’m not here to argue as to whether or not they work, but I do know that the Bible tells us in Proverbs 18:21 that “the tongue has the power of life and death.” The Bible also says in Proverbs 15:4 “Gentle words bring life and health; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.”

I read an amazing book last year by Jon Acuff called Soundracks. He talks about replacing negative patterns of thinking with helpful, positive ones, or as he calls them new soundtracks. This idea is not new. Philippians 4:8 encourages us to think positively as well. “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.“

In 2 Kings 4, there is an account of someone who did just that. Instead of focusing on what was going wrong, the Shunammite woman (I talked about her in my blog Make Room) confesses boldly “Everything is alright!” when literally everything was falling apart. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be writing about her story and the incredible testimony of God’s provision, healing, and restoration in her life.

But until then, I want to encourage you to start confessing God’s promises over your life. Here are a few I rehearse regularly. you can borrow them!

  • Jesus is with me, and he is enough (2 Corinthians 12:9)
  • I am well able (Numbers 13:30)
  • His joy is my strength (Nehemiah 8:10)
  • He carries my cares (1 Peter 5:7)
  • I am the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21)
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Saying Yes to God

Listen to this blog post on my podcast Seeking God, Loving Others.

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. James 4:7-10

We’ve declared this a Year of Yes for God. We’ve identified the distractions and how to overcome them. So how do we actually say yes? Thankfully the answers are found in the book of James.

Yield – We have to yield to God. This is the first directive we’re given in James 4. Yielding is another way to say submit. Submission is the action or fact of accepting or yielding to a superior force or to the will or authority of another person. I’ve heard it described as coming under the mission of another. To be sub/under another’s mission. 

When we drive, there are yield signs. Yield doesn’t mean to slow down. The yield sign is telling us that there is something else already happening. There are cars already moving at high speeds and if you are entering, you need to join in with what’s already happening.

When we submit to God, we are agreeing to join in with what he has going on. We agree to do what he wants us to do. Micah 6:8 is one place in the word that tells us what God requires of us. God requires that we act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.

When you walk with someone you get to know them. One of my closest friends I have is because we ran together. We started to train for a race together and during that time, we got to know each other on a deeper level. 

Enter His Presence– James encourages us to come near to God. When we come near to God, we enter his presence.God’s presence is not some mystical place or weird room with candles and soft music.God’s presence is wherever you prepare for it. His presence can be at your dining room table as you read your devotional. His presence can be in your car while you praise on your way to work.

When we come near to God, we are showing him that not only do we trust him, but he can trust us. 

Sacrifice– And here comes the hard part. Look at James 4:9 “Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.” None of that stuff is fun! But honestly, saying yes to God often requires sacrifice.

Saying yes to something requires saying no to something else. Saying yes to attending worship service consistently requires saying no to staying up all night on Saturday. Saying yes to making time to read your Bible requires saying no to binge watching your favorite show. Saying yes to managing your finances requires saying no to overspending and accumulating debt.

Saying yes is not always easy either, but saying yes to God, whatever he asks is always most beneficial. God has asked me to do a lot of things outside of my comfort zone, but every time I’ve said yes, I’ve never regretted it.

Whether God has asked you to start a ministry, focus on getting out of debt, serve as a foster parent, or minister to single mothers, I can assure you that your yes will not be in vain.