Genesis 41:39 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “You’re the man for us. God has given you the inside story—no one is as qualified as you in experience and wisdom.

True to the saying, “You can’t keep a good man down”, that’s exactly what happened to Joseph. Even as a prisoner locked up in prison, he quickly began to rise. The chief guard noticed this and put him in charge of all the prisoners.

This speaks volumes about Joseph’s character; it is the story of a man who truly lives his faith. When people notice this, they treat you differently. Your lifestyle earns their respect, and they find they can trust you with all that they are. And that’s exactly what Potiphar did.

But Joseph was not done surprising us yet. He interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams, and as a result, Pharaoh trusted Joseph so much that he appointed him over all his affairs. Pharaoh alone stood above Joseph.

One wonders why. Why did Joseph rise so quickly? Well, it’s so obvious that even an unbelieving Pharaoh noticed it. The way Joseph lived and the wisdom with which he explained things made Pharaoh see that he wasn’t just an ordinary person. Something about Joseph had to be different! And Pharaoh recognised the Spirit of God.

How wonderful it would be if people could also see God and His Spirit in you and me. But alas. I don’t think that’s what people always see. I suspect people rather see the world’s way of living in us.

It is a profound shame that we often allow the world to consume us, obscuring the presence of God’s Spirit within us.

This is not to belittle ourselves, but we must honestly admit our shortcomings. We must know that our wheel alignment is off and that we can’t stay on track. For this, Jesus died for us on the cross.

Through His grace, and despite the noise within us, we can still embody the Spirit so clearly that His presence becomes visible to others. It is precisely the Spirit that helps us to overcome obstacles, so that we can shine God’s light more strongly. This is possible because the Spirit is in us.

Prayer
Father, thank you for You. Thank you for Your Spirit. Yes, Spirit of God, help me to make You more and more visible to the people around me …

Questions
Can people see by my life that God is with me?
Do I trust God’s timing, even when I have to wait a long time?
What in my life is preventing God’s Spirit from shining through me more clearly?

Do this now
Ask the Holy Spirit today to help you live more like Jesus.
Take an honest look at one attitude or habit that is hiding God’s light in your life.
Make one small change today that shows you want to follow God’s Spirit.