How many times does it take for God to speak to you about a situation before you obey? Sometimes our obedience is immediate and at other times it may take two, three, or four requests from the Lord before we listen and obey.

Moses was God's chosen spokesperson to represent Him before Pharoah. He had been shown the power and had heard the voice of God as few men had ever seen before. Yet the past of his life, caused him to doubt, and to ask God to send a different representative before Pharoah and the people of Israel.

Have you ever felt like something you worked extremely hard to make, ended as a failure? The anticipation of a job well done is replaced with the reality of disappointment. That was true once when I was trying to do a ceramic piece and I placed it in the kiln to bake and when it came out it was not what I had envisioned. Instead of a centerpiece it was more like a paper weight!

As Joseph was able to remove the relational block between himself and his brothers before death, may we also strive to not have discord with family or friends. Paul stated, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. Be angry and do not sin: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil" (Ephesians 4:25-27).

Israel (Jacob) and his family were instructed to come to Egypt and to settle in the land of Goshen. Pharoah and the court of Egypt had such high regards for Joseph that his family was welcomed to reside close to Joseph. God allowed this land to be a place where the nation of Israel could prosper and be nurtured until it was strong enough to survive in a hostile world.

He (Joseph) rose above his circumstances each time he was confronted with a setback and proved his character and integrity. Joseph did not allow the situation to control him but instead, he overcame the obstacles before him.

Forgotten by man yet not forgotten by God. If there is one that I choose to be remembered by, I will choose God. So many times, in our lives we feel that we have been forgotten or overlooked by friends and family.

It has been stated that character is the state of the heart. Regardless of the difficulty or temptation, Joseph maintained the right heart attitude. This enabled him to overcome difficult situations and provide his captors, employers and even his enemies with the very best he had to offer.

Jacob was not exempt from the reality of life situations. He experienced sickness, conflict, separation, and death. We also are not exempt from life's joys and losses. When joys are experienced, may we rejoice and give thanks. Also, as afflictions strike, let us trust God for strength and wisdom.

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom..." Psalm111:10. Fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous and is likely to cause us pain or injury. All of us have experienced this emotion at some point in our lives.