As we've studied the life of Joseph with Scott Pauline, we've learned that this study isn't necessarily about Joseph, but instead about the God who was with Joseph, even in the darkest of circumstances.

As you look at your own circumstances through the eyes

of faith, do you recognize God's presence? Oh, that we could learn to live in the presence of God.

Be sure to stay tuned after today's study to learn more about Scott's book on the life of Joseph,

entitled The Lord was with Joseph.

God has a way of preparing his servants, of getting us ready for what he knows is coming.

We couldn't know the future. I want to say, thank God, I don't know the future. I don't have the

grace for that yet.

But the Lord does. And Joseph's greatest preparation for the famine that was ahead was not what he did. Everybody was amazed at the preparations he made for the famine, but the greatest preparation in

Joseph's life was what God did for him. And God will give you some things along the way that prepare you for what's

coming next. For example, in Genesis 41, verse 50, the Bible says, and unto Joseph were born two sons

before the years of famine came. Don't miss that. It was before the famine came that God gave him Manassah and God gave him Ephraim.

And I think that was very important.

Later in life, Genesis 48 and verse 9, Joseph said to his father, these are my sons whom God

have given me in this place.

And when they were given was just prior to the famine.

Now, why was that?

Because God was sending Joseph a message, and really he was giving him truth that he could

draw from all through those seven years of difficulty and famine.

The first, of course, was that he had to get past his past.

That was Manassah.

Remember forgetting?

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