by: Joel Osteen

Fruitful

Joseph endured thirteen years of betrayals, being sold into slavery, falsely accused and sent to prison, delays, disappointments, and bad breaks. Yet he kept being his best, and eventually he was made prime minister of Egypt. It’s interesting that after all of that, he named his second son Ephraim, which means “productive, fruitful.” He was saying, “I’ve gone through so much that was unfair, but God caused me to prosper despite all that tried to stop me.” 

If you’re going to have an Ephraim, if you’re going to see God prosper you in the midst of the difficulty, you have to stay productive, keep using your gifts, keep stretching, keep being good to people. Don’t put your dreams on hold because you’re in a difficult place. As with Joseph, God can make you prosperous in the affliction—not when you get out of it, but in the trouble, in the disappointment. You can shine, you can still build, still see great relationships, still accomplish your dreams. God will prosper you wherever you’re planted.