TWENTY-FOUR YEARS of waiting were like a day when destiny triumphed.
The Raptors franchise, a basketball team from Toronto, Canada, won the 2019 NBA trophy for the first time.
At the outset, the team seemed like a curiosity. But with time, the game grew in the city.
Dedicated fans cheered them on, but few were there from the very beginning.
There were many unforgettable moments. One remarkable thing is the support the team received from the whole nation.
It's an incredible story.
The Narrative
FOR A TEEN in the scriptures, every bit of his life contained a story and a nod to the surreal.
He had a dream—Joseph saw his brothers bowing to him.
"So! You're going to rule us? You're going to boss us around?" said, his brothers. (Genesis 37:8)
To them, he was a curiosity. They hated him.
He had a second dream and told them—the sun and the moon, and ten stars bowed to him.
When Jacob heard, he scolded him. He couldn't understand how this is possible.
The Path to Destiny
JOSEPH AND DAVID began their walks to destiny when their fathers sent them to their brothers. (Genesis 37:14; 1 Samuel 17:17)
For Joseph, it wasn't a pat on the cheek but a step into the wild wind.
When Joseph's brothers saw him at a distance, they planned to kill him and put an end to his dream—his enemies were members of his household.
But Reuben intervened, and they threw him into a dry pit.
They pulled Joseph out and sold him to the Midianites.
When Reuben returned, he was distraught to find him missing.
They dipped Joseph's clothes into goat's blood and presented it to their father—the sons' secret became their father's grief.
Jacob recognized his son's clothes and thought a wild animal had eaten him.
The Presence of God
IN EGYPT, the traders sold Joseph to Potiphar. But God was with him, and all that he did went well.
Potiphar put him over his house, and God prospered the house of Potiphar.
Joseph was a strikingly, handsome man. As time went on, Potiphar's wife asked him to sleep with her.
Joseph knew that evil thrives where there is a disregard for God. He refused to do such a thing. She continued to pester him, and he wouldn't budge.
One day, he came to work; none of the servants were there.
Potiphar's wife grabbed his cloak, but Joseph left it and ran.
He preferred to leave his cloak with her than lose his destiny. Joseph knew that life wasn't by chance, but by choice.
She accused Joseph of trying to sleep with her. (Genesis 39:17-18) And Potiphar threw Joseph into prison, but God was with him.
"The LORD's eyes are on righteous people. His ears hear their cry for help." (Psalm 34:15)
The Place of Motivation
TO FIND the meaning of life, he couldn't do it by himself. So, he interacted with people—Joseph knew that he was a solution provider.
When the butler and baker were thrown into prison. Both had dreams, the same night.
The following day, they had long faces because they couldn't interpret their dreams.
Joseph interpreted them. (Genesis 40:8)
And he did not stop there. Joseph made a request. He asked the cupbearer to put in a word for him—this is how you inspire hope.
At that point, his testimony wasn't as striking as the cupbearer's, but it was memorable.
In three days, the cupbearer was restored to his position, and the baker was impaled on a pole. But the cupbearer did not remember Joseph.
Faith is nothing, except everything.
The Place of Remembrance
AFTER TWO YEARS, Pharaoh had two dreams. But no one could interpret them.
Then, the cupbearer remembered Joseph and told the king.
There was no buzz in anticipation that he would leave prison that day, but the king asked for Joseph. Pharaoh told him the dreams, and he interpreted them.
He told Pharaoh that the king will need a wise and experienced man to oversee the affairs of the land.
It seemed good to the king and his officials, they chose Joseph because the spirit of the Lord was in him. They knew that he had the inside story. (Genesis 41:39-40)
The king gave Joseph his signet and a gold ring. They also put new robes on him.
His change of clothes became an informational tool. Many who saw him knew that he was royalty. (Genesis 41:42)
BRINGING IT TOGETHER
THE EVENTS OF LIFE did not unfold the way he thought, but he held on. He knew that faith is nothing except everything. God was his destiny.
Destiny triumphed over dynasty! Joseph moved from the prison to the palace.
God needed a witness. He found one in him.
Can he find one in you?
Happy Father's Day.