There is an old story told of a Norwegian father and son who went out fishing in their small boat. Suddenly a fog bank surrounded them and they were lost at sea. While they were desperately struggling to find their way, back to shore the kitchen of their little house caught on fire. The wife and mother tried to stop the blaze, but it raged out of control. The home burned to the ground. Just as the last pieces of wood fell into ash, the father and the son made it to the shore in their little boat. The woman cried out to them: “We have lost everything. The house is burned. Everything’s gone!” The father and the son stared in shock. She was more insistent: “Didn’t you hear what I said? Everything we had is in ashes!” The father looked at her and said: “A few hours ago we were lost at sea. There seemed to be no hope. Then we saw a golden glow in the fogbound sky. We decided to row toward that glow. The flames that burned our house saved our lives!” You see, the perspective from which we view the things that come our way in life can make all the difference.
It certainly did in the life of Joseph. In the next chapter of Joseph’s life, he finds himself again facing the fog of uncertainty when the wife of his owner seduces him, once again Joseph’s unique God-given character and conviction shines through. This Sunday we will explore what it was that attracted Joseph’s focus and what should also attract ours.
