Intro

Are you from the perfect family?  You know, the family where parents are always fair, children always obey their parents, and siblings always think the best of each other. If you are, good for you! Most of us aren’t.

If the Bible just told stories of people from great families who developed into strong men and women of God, most of us would end up discouraged. We would probably read other books.  

Thankfully, the Bible tells real-life stories. The apostle Paul writes: Romans 15:4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

When we read Joseph’s story, we see the truth of God woven into the pettiness, messiness, unfairness, and dysfunctionality of his family life. That’s why we can identify!

And, if we understand God’s truth woven into the story of his dysfunctional family, we will be encouraged to persevere with hope as God writes his story through our lives.