³³ He recognized it and said, “It is my son’s robe! Some ferocious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces.” (Genesis 37)

Joseph’s robe….torn to pieces….blood stained…..presented to his father by his jealous brothers as proof of his death.  They hated him.  And resented their father because of the favor he showed Joseph.  Joseph was born to Jacob in his old age, by his wife Rachel, advanced in age as well, and Jacob recognized his birth as a blessing from God.   Jacob favored Rachel over his other wives even though she was barren all her life.  So now you get it, the brothers had other baby mamas….and Joseph, the youngest, was different.  He received dreams from God, his character was pure, and God’s favor was on his life.  And they hated him.

Jacob had given Joseph a beautiful elegant robe (a coat of many colors).  It was a token of his great love and recognition that Joseph was gifted with dreams from God (which would prove later to be 100% accurate).  But the robe……that the father bestowed on him, would bring a great deal of trouble.  A gorgeous garment… on a shepherd?…..climbing over rocks, walking through grass and mud, chasing sheep?   Can you imagine driving by a construction worker dressed in a $1000 suit?  Oh, the eye rolls, the jealousy….I’m sure Joseph was tempted to take it off, to hide his gift, hide his favor because it made others jealous….it made others conspire against him……

Do you know how that feels?  I do too.   Haters…..Taylor Swift wrote a brilliant song about them.  But you can not stop God’s favor on your life and you can NOT hide it.  Your gift is for the kingdom and the bigger it is, the more haters you will have.  AND the greater the attack will be from the enemy, as it was for Joseph as we continue his story.   But maybe you are on the flip side (as I have been too) where you find yourself jealous of others gifts and the favor God has for them.   Its tough to see other blessed when yours is in waiting. But we should always rejoice when others are rejoicing-because it will release His favor in your life…as  you will see as this amazing story unfolds.

The brothers conspired against Joseph to kill him.  Rueben, convinced them to just throw him in a pit, hoping Joseph would be able to escape . So they stripped him and betrayed him.   They decided to sell him as a slave to passing travelers headed to Egypt.   Joseph, in an instant,  lost everything.  He’s alone, betrayed by those who should have loved him…..no home, no family, nothing.

The brothers take the robe, rip it to shreds, soak it in goat’s blood and present it to their father……..”Joseph has surely been torn to pieces.”

Surely my dream is dead, surely my promise is gone, surely God doesn’t love me, surely I was never favored at all.  Is that the evidence your situation is telling you?   Yeah….me too.    I wish I could say I escaped 2017 with a great faith intact, but I’d be lying to you.   I have questioned God, questioned His plan, questioned my favor, and pouted before the Lord.    The evidence told me God wasn’t good and He didn’t love me.  I am broken and wounded……and oh how the enemy loves the wounded, because like a wounded animal whimpering in the woods, he is exposed, the lion comes to devour.  But oh how the SAVIOR loves the wounded more!  His heart is attracted to my brokenness.  And the Holy Spirit is faithful to PROVE what the enemy has presented to me is FALSE EVIDENCE.   Jacob, with bloody robe in hand, had false evidence.  The dreamer was not dead, but alive, and in time would be elevated higher than before, even in enemy territory, and save the family that once betrayed him.

How many times in our lives has the enemy given us false evidence, that our hearts devastatingly believe to be true?    But what is the Spirit saying to you right now?  Its NOT over!  It IS false evidence.  He loves you and you have always been in His hand.

Oooooooo, I feel the Holy Spirit right now as I am typing….He just said to me, “The devil should’ve killed him when he had the chance.”  Wow, yes, he should’ve!   Joseph ends up saving his brother Judah from starvation-who is in the lineage of Christ!  If Joseph had died, God’s plan would have changed…….And he should’ve killed me too, when he got the chance last year!  Because big adversity means big break through.      And IF I believe the WORD is TRUE, then my best days are ahead, then I’m about to be elevated, my purpose is about to be advanced in enemy territory!  And my cup is about to be so full it will run over!  Join me next week as we will see that Joseph’s cup did too……….