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TRUST JESUS TODAY

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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: HIKE (07/07/22)
While traveling up Mount McKinley, in Alaska, our tour bus stopped at a place to allow us enjoy the scenery. It was a warm summer days. The majestic McKinley mountain rose up before us to touch the sky. White cotton puff clouds floated around the bright blue sky. Patches of green foliage enhanced the elegance of the tawny grey rocks. The brilliance of the sun's rays cast a spell of cheerfulness over the whole area. A handsome white mountain goat, sporting his black spiked horns and pointed beard appeared on the scene followed by a few goats.

He was leading the way up on a narrow trail. He cleverly negotiated the dangerous climb on the slippery rocks, up, down and across the mountain slopes until he safely reached a plateau of green grass. Here the flock rested and refreshed themselves. As I watched I couldn't help comparing the hiking trail of these mountain goats to man's life on earth, especially that of Joseph in the Bible.

Joseph was the eleventh son of Jacob. His father favored him and his brothers envied him. The envy turned into anger when Joseph told them about his dream in which all his brothers fell down before him and worshipped him. In their fury they plotted to kill him. They got their chance the day Joseph came to visit them as they grazed their sheep in a distant field. They didn't want his blood on their hands so they threw him into a deep pit. However they found it profitable to sell him to some Ishmaelite traders who passed that way. From the pit Joseph was taken to the slave market in Egypt and sold to a rich Egyptian, named Potiphar. The Lord was with Joseph and he prospered.

Joseph found favor in his master's eyes and was promoted to be the chief steward. As Joseph was a handsome man, the master's wife tried to seduce him. Joseph's refusal angered her and she engineered his prison sentence. The Lord continued to be with Joseph and he found favor with the prison warden. The Lord also blessed him with a knowledge of interpreting dreams. This blessing made him interpret the Pharaoh's dream, when nobody else could. Greatly impressed by Joseph's wisdom the Pharaoh made him a high official in the kingdom. Joseph prospered for the rest of his life.

Joseph's ascent from being his father's favorite to being the Pharaoh's favorite follows an interesting pattern - from being his father's beloved he went down into the pit, and then up to Potiphar's mansion, down to the prison, and up again to Pharaoh's palace. It does resemble the Billy goat's zig-zag ascent up the mountain slope. The flocks safety is assured as long as the Billy goat is with them. As I read the story of Joseph in chapters 37, 39,40 and 41 of the book of Genesis, in the Bible, I realized that Joseph's success in life is because - ' The Lord was with him'.

The Lord taught me a lesson that day. A successful trail through life's ups and downs is possible only if I faithfully and obediently follow my Lord as the goats followed the Billy goat, and if I honor the presence of God in my life as Joseph did.


Bible references are from KJV
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Member Comments
Member
Date
Marlene Custer 
07/16/22
Joseph offers many examples for us to follow. I have always loved the example he set.