“And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand. And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him; and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand. And ...the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake and the blessing of the Lord was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field.”    Genesis 39:2-5

 
Did you know that by the very nature of being one of God’s chosen that you are blessed?  Not only are you blessed, but everything under your authority is blessed.  It is not only limited to your personal household; it goes wherever you are. The blessing goes with you like an unseen aura that is spiritually visible by all.  It is in your surroundings, job, company, accounts, friends, and yes, even your boss will be blessed simply because you are there.  As you walk in the path of righteousness, under submission to Jesus Christ, your blessing encompasses all you do—your entire existence. 

It is even more important for you to know that your blessing is seen by others. You may not feel it, or even acknowledge it, but it is prevalent all around you.  If you are a physician, your patients and practice will be blessed.  If you are a teacher, your students will be blessed.  If you are an executive, your business will be blessed.  If you are a janitor, the very floors you mop and clean will be blessed simply because you are the one taking care of it.    

You may not like the idea of others around you toggling your blessing; however, it cannot be stopped, it is by nature, the fulfillment of the receipt of the blessing.   It radiates from you to those things that are important to you.  If God has chosen to bless you, then the people or things you put energy towards will also be extraordinarily blessed.

When Potiphar, the Egyptian, bought Joseph from the Ishmaelites, he was simply purchasing a new slave for his household.  But, everything that Joseph touched became successful. Potiphar noticed that when he placed Joseph in charge of the fields, they began to flourish abundantly. And, when he promoted him to manage the transactions of his household, they too became exceedingly prosperous. By the time he placed Joseph in charge of everything, Potiphar was doing so well, he did not know the extremes of his own wealth.  Imagine, even his wife believed she was more desirable because of Joseph’s attention.  She felt desirable enough to proposition Joseph to her private chambers, in order to tempt him into an illicit affair.  He refused and ran. 

Therein lies the caveat to maintaining your blessing, temptation. Falling prey to temptation is by far a surefire way of corrupting your blessing. We forget that, no matter how hard we appear to be working, or how skilled we are at what we are doing, it is the blessing, and our respect and honor of God fulfilling the blessing, which is creating success.  

Unfortunately, we have a weakness—our ego.  When we begin to acknowledge our ego or ourselves as the architect of our success, it wanes.  Joseph did not fall for the temptation of Potiphar’s wife, because he understood through whom his life was being blessed.  Joseph could have accepted her advances; after all, his master did place him in charge of everything under his household. Keeping Potiphar’s wife happy could have been part of the plan; she probably would have kept the secret.  However, Joseph understood his sin would be against God, and it would corrupt his destiny and God’s blessings in his life.   

What about you?  Are you thanking God for your success; or, are you prone to believe your success comes from your own self?  Remember, God has granted your blessing as one of His chosen, you have not received the blessing for yourself only; so, whether your blessings are words, wealth, work, or wisdom, eventually, it must be shared.  L. 

Study Reference: Genesis 39:1-23
From: "Blessings Upon You." In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions for Everyday Living. 
Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell
​

“…Except I shall see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe.”  John 20:25 
 
When Jesus appeared to the ten Apostles in John 20:19, we can only imagine their natural exuberance and overwhelming joy when they actually "see" that their Messiah had truly risen from the dead. The Apostles later recount Jesus’ visit to Didymus Thomas who was not present when Jesus appeared, telling him that Jesus has indeed risen from the dead.  However, Thomas does not believe them; in fact, he says the passage above in John 20:25, earning him the 2000 year old nickname “Doubting Thomas.”

Have you ever spoken to someone about something extraordinary that you have seen and they did not believe you? Maybe it was a story of how God provided for you in a time of need, and they simply did not believe.  It is a little frustrating, because as an eyewitness and credible friend you simply expect for them to believe what you are telling them.  Thomas, like most of us, does not really believe in the omnipotent power of Jesus Christ, until he experiences it for himself.  He had to see it, to believe it! Yet his response still seems a little bizarre coming from someone who had been an eyewitness to countless miracles, including seeing Jesus raise others from the dead. 

After the Apostles told Thomas of their experience, we can imagine he may have wanted to believe, yet, in his heart he wanted proof.  After all, why would Jesus show Himself to all the others and not to him! He needed proof!  So, eight days later, after Jesus had ascended to His Father, He reappears to the Apostles once again; this time, Didymus Thomas is with them. The part I find absolutely fascinating is—Jesus came back for one person! He came back so that Thomas would have all the proof he needed to satisfy his belief. Jesus did not have to reappear to convince one disciple, but He did! 

How do we know He came back just for Thomas? Because, when He first appeared to the Apostles He could not be touched; He says to Mary Magdalene in John 20:17 “…Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father….”    When He showed Himself the second time to the Apostles, He could physically be touched!  Thomas could physically touch the holes in His hands, and the holes in His pierced torso.  And, just to be clear, Jesus says to him,
“Reach hither thy finger, and behold My hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into My side: and be not faithless, but believing.” (John 20:27)

Jesus literally responds using the same words that Thomas used in his refusal to accept Jesus’ first appearance!   So, no matter what you may go through, if you need an answer to something that may hinder your belief, know that Jesus will move heaven and earth to answer even one person—​You!   L.

Study Reference: John 20:17-31, Luke 15:4-6  
​From:"Returning, Just For One.." In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions for Everyday Living
​Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell ​