Life of Faithfulness

Why we do what-we-do is usually an interesting consideration. For example, why I buy a particular brand of corn meal can be traced back to the brand my Mom bought. Whether it is the best brand or not is irrelevant; since it was good enough for Mom, it's good enough for me! Mister Bill and I have been reading through the Book of Genesis, and right now we're studying the life of Joseph, one of the two sons of Jacob and Rachel. The way God wove His divine purpose through the many difficult circumstances of Joseph's life is amazing. If there was ever one in Scripture to become discouraged and give-up, I suggest it was Joseph. What we see, however, is a young man whose faith was about as steadfast as anyone mentioned elsewhere in Scripture. We read, "The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man" (Genesis 39:2) ... "But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love" (Genesis 39:21). Through all of Joseph's struggles, he remained faithful, and why? In the words of Dr. J. Vernon McGee, "his faith made him faithful." Yes, Joseph had a right view of his God: "The Lord is faithful ... He will establish you and guard you against the evil one" (2 Thessalonians 3:3 ESV). Joseph had heard of the promises of God and seen evidence of their sureness in the generations of his family. He knew "the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:22-23 ESV). We may not always answer sufficiently why we do-what-we-do but never let us hesitate to know that it is a right and sound faith in the eternally Faithful One that leads us to a ... life of faithfulness.