God's favor

I was reading Genesis 39 this morning. Joseph was sold into slavery in the previous chapters. Here is a verse that stuck out to me

When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. (Gen 39:3)

I got to thinking, WHY didn't God just have favor on him EARLIER and keep him out of slavery?

Then I read further about the wife of his master who falsely accused Joseph of attempted sexual assault. Joseph ended up in jail. But there:

But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. (Gen 39:20-21)

Why didn't God just have favor and kindness back when the wife was after him?

Then a thought occurred to me. The fact that Joseph ended up in slavery and in jail was because of other people's choices. This is huge for me right now. I can only work with my own choices and my attitudes in them. Other people may make choices that effect me! And sometimes that stinks! It is life. But that does not mean God is not with me. In fact he can create incredible situations for me even in the middle of a mess that someone else made. I might want to be on the lookout for that!

The Pursuit of God- Introduction

I am toying around with keeping a separate note for my journey of staying attached to the vine.

My husband bought me a kindle and the first book i bought was AW Tozer's The Pursuit of God. (It was 89 cents. How could I go wrong?) I am just in the introduction and already I love it. Here are two quotes.

There may be a right opinion of God without either love or one right temper toward him. Satan is proof of this.

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For it is not mere words that nourish the soul, but God Himself, unless and until the hearers find God in personal experience they are not the better for having heard the truth. The Bible is not an end in itself, but a means to bring men to an intimate and satisfying knowledge of God, that they may enter into Him, that they may delight in HIs Presence, may taste and know the inner sweetness of the very God Himself in the core and center of their hearts.

I think the above quote is key. I could defend the Gospel all day long with facts. I could educate myself in an effort to convince another person of the truth; however, you can not change a person's heart with the cold hard facts. When we Experience God and others see that, then we are a better witness than a library full of books. In fact it isn't even about defending the truth or 'convincing' someone (as if that were possible.) It is about our personal relationship with God.

I received the most amazing compliment the other day. I was back in a doctor's office and the receptionist said, "I was so glad to see you back in here. Well..I am not glad you are here for you but I am glad for me!" Wow- that felt really really good because on most days I feel less than worthy. So it was a whisper from God that He is doing a good work in me.