Before Joseph’s brothers threw him in the pit, they took the coat that his father gave to him. Joseph was Jacob’s 11th son, but he was favored because he was the firstborn of his beloved wife Rachel. His brothers knew this and as a final humiliation, they took his coat before they threw him into a pit. I’m sure they thought they were taking something of value from him. But I submit to you that while the coat was a symbol of something valuable, it had no true value. Everything of value was on the inside of Joseph, his purpose, his character and his commitment to God. The lesson is that no one can take anything of true value from you—an object, an opportunity or even time. As it turns out, Joseph didn’t even need the robe where he was going. He would eventually be second in command of Egypt and have access to all of the money and power that came with it.
Remember, man cannot take anything that God has given you and God doesn’t need anything man can give you.
I had a very bad breakup in my forties. There were several months when I was depressed and despondent. I was hurt and angry and I blamed myself for compromising my values and staying longer than I should have. But I really blamed this man for wasting my time. If he wasn’t in it for the long haul, he should have said so. All I could think of was that I was forty-six and I didn’t have any years to waste on someone who didn’t want what I wanted. It turns out, that this person didn’t take anything from me. It was the catalyst that put me on the path, not just to my healing journey, but to discovering Preside. God wasted nothing from this experience and even redeemed my time. No one can take anything of true value from you.
Presiding Action
Think about a time you felt that someone had taken something from you, or you lost out on money, an opportunity, or even lost time to an unfair situation. Remember that no person can ever take anything of true value from you. Whatever you believe to be lost, God doesn’t need for where you are going. God even redeems time. Get back up and move forward, your future will be greater than your past.