Genesis 50:22,23 “Now Joseph stayed in Egypt, he and his father’s household, and Joseph lived one hundred and ten years. Joseph saw the third generation of Ephraim’s sons; also the sons of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were born on Joseph’s knees.” Joseph lived a blessed life. It wasn’t an easy one. It could have taken wrong turns on many occasions. But Joseph stayed true to God and trusted His guidance. The end result was a blessed life. Let’s take a few lines and address the possible pitfalls. First off, Joseph was sold to some Ishmaelite traders. As most would guess, slaves are property and are treated any way the masters chooses. All sorts of abuse comes to mind: mental, physical, sexual, etc. This could have been a wrong turn. This is like kids that are sent to juvenile hall or into group homes. They are on wrong paths that they are often unable to recover from. The poison in one’s mind is not easy to remove. Another possible area of corruption came from his stay in prison. The same negative influences were there. Then he went to Potifar’s house. Here he was given power. There are many that are attracted to power. All sorts of corrupting possibilities were offered. Potifar’s wife was one of them. Amazingly enough, he didn’t succumb to the temptations to compromise himself morally. He also didn’t become bitter. The wrongs done to him were many and significant. He could have yearned for the early days when he was with his father or his place of priviledge with Potifar. I’m sure he had to fight off the bad attitudes in the down times. However he trusted God and God delivered him. More than that, Joseph was greatly blessed. This is what God has for all of us. Our Shepherd will guide us in and through the tough places. We need to trust that He will work all for the good. I think of the verses in Psalm 23, “surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life” and “Thou prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies”. Here Joseph is at the end of a great life. His grand & great grand kids surround him. He is honored by his family and all of Egypt. God wants to bless and honor us, if we trust Him. Lord, give us the faith to trust Your guidance and to praise You every step of the way. Thank You.