Are you making lemonade out of the lemons in your life? The Bible talks about Joseph, son of Jacob, who was a young man, chosen by God to do a great thing. Joseph's older brothers believed that their father favored Joseph, which was true. Jealousy can be an awful thing, and the brothers were jealous of Joseph.
One day, when he went out to them with a message from his father, the brothers caught him and put him in a pit. Not a great place to spend the night.
That’s the first place Joseph didn’t want to be.
When a slave trader came along, they pulled him out and sold him. He was taken to Egypt.
That’s the second place Joseph didn’t want to be.
But God was working, and Joseph was sold to a man named Potiphar. Joseph made the best of the situation and became so trusted by Potiphar that, after a time he put Joseph in charge of his whole household.
He was making lemonade out of the lemons in his life.. Along came Potiphar’s wife who tried to get Joseph to sin. He wouldn't, and the wife arranged it so that Joseph was thrown into prison.
That was another place he didn’t want to be.
But while in prison, Joseph again became so trusted by the prison warden that he was put in charge of all the prisoners. Of course, God was blessing him every day - blessing him, but not necessarily changing the situation. You know, sometimes that’s how it works. All along Joseph was learning lessons. He was learning how to be a manager, how to deal with people, how to trust God, and how to act as a child of God should.
He again made lemonade.
After a while two of the Pharaoh’s servants were sent to prison, and while they were there, Joseph explained their troubling dreams. He was sure to tell them that the interpretation came from God. The baker would be released within three days and Joseph asked that he tell the Pharaoh about him and try to help him. But the baker forgot all about Joseph.
That was another situation that didn’t go the way Joseph wanted it to.
After a couple of years, Pharaoh had two dreams that no one could interpret. Finally, the baker remembered his promise to Joseph and told the Pharaoh who had Joseph brought up from the prison.
Joseph explained the dreams. He said there would be seven years of plenty and then seven years of famine so severe that there would be nothing left. He told Pharaoh to put a wise man in charge, take a fifth of the harvest during the years of plenty and hold it in reserve for the seven years of famine.
Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of the palace and the people and the produce. I wonder if that was a place Joseph wanted to be - it certainly was where God wanted him.
It worked just as God had planned. When the famine came, it not only covered Egypt, but all the lands around and after a while Joseph’s father sent the other brothers to Egypt to buy grain. Joseph recognized them and after some testing, Joseph told them who he was. They were terrified. They knew he could do anything he wanted to them because of his position. But the most amazing thing happened. Joseph forgave them. Though Joseph, God was protecting the children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Israel.) He was keeping his promise to Abraham.
With God’s help,
Joseph was able to make lemonade when he was handed lemons. He was able to be strong and righteous, instead of being angry at the situation and places he landed.
God was with him in the Pit, and in Slavery, in Prison, and in the Palace of the Pharaoh. And as long as
Joseph kept making lemonade out of the lemons in his life he could move on and do what God wanted him to accomplish.
Are you making lemonade? Just remember who is with you in the kitchen.
Each one of these statements sounds so good. But if you break them down, who is at the center of each? I’d venture to say it would be “me.”
