PRAYER

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for giving us this time to hear Your Word and be reminded of what truly matters in life. Teach us to walk by faith and not by sight, and help us make it our daily ambition to live lives that are pleasing to You.

Lord, thank You for the example of Joseph — a man who remained faithful despite pain, temptation, injustice, and difficult circumstances. Though surrounded by brokenness, he continued to trust You and honor You. Help us to have the same kind of faith and obedience. Teach us to forgive in our families, honor You in our work, pursue holiness in our private lives, and remain faithful even when doing what is right becomes difficult.

Search our hearts today, Lord. Remove every bitterness, pride, fear, selfishness, and anything that keeps us from fully surrendering to You. Fill us with Your wisdom, strength, grace, and the power of Your Spirit so that our lives may reflect Christ and bring glory to Your name.

Draw us closer to You each day. Transform our hearts, renew our minds, and help us become people who desire Your approval more than the approval of the world. May our lives be a testimony of faith, integrity, love, and obedience to You.

In Jesus’ name we pray,

Amen.

2 CORINTHIANS 5:7 for we walk by faith, not by sight— 9 Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.

Faith means trusting God beyond what we can immediately see, understand, or feel. The goal of that faith-filled life: “to be pleasing to Him.” Our greatest ambition should not merely be success, comfort, recognition, or achievement, but to live in a way that honors God. One day, what will matter most is not how famous or wealthy we became, but whether our lives reflected obedience, love, and faithfulness to the Lord.

The life of Joseph beautifully demonstrates what it means to please God in every circumstance. Joseph came from a deeply broken and dysfunctional family. There was deception, favoritism, jealousy, immorality, manipulation, and division. Yet Joseph did not allow the sins and failures around him to define his character or determine his future. He chose to trust God instead of becoming bitter. His story proves that a person can come from a messy background and still live a life that honors the Lord.

PLEASE GOD IN YOUR FAMILY.

GENESIS 50:15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph bears a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong which we did to him!” 16 So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father charged before he died, saying, 17 ‘Thus you shall say to Joseph, “Please forgive, I beg you, the transgression of your brothers and their sin, for they did you wrong.” ’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18 Then his brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” 19 But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in God’s place? 20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive. 21 So therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” So he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

Joseph’s brothers feared revenge after their father Jacob died. They knew the evil they had committed against Joseph and expected punishment. Yet Joseph responded with forgiveness, compassion, and kindness. Instead of focusing on the pain caused by people, Joseph focused on the sovereignty of God. He recognized that although others intended evil, God was able to use those painful experiences for a greater purpose.

This passage teaches that pleasing God in our families requires forgiveness. Families often become places of hurt because the people closest to us can wound us the deepest. But Joseph refused to live as a victim. He chose grace over resentment and mercy over revenge. Pleasing God in the family means loving the Lord first, loving family members intentionally, and choosing forgiveness even when it is difficult. Forgiveness does not excuse sin, but it releases bitterness and trusts God with justice.

PLEASE GOD AT WORK.

GENESIS 39

2 The Lord was with Joseph, so he became a successful man. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian. 3 Now his master saw that the Lord was with him and how the Lord caused all that he did to prosper in his hand. 4 So Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal servant; and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he owned he put in his charge.

Joseph served faithfully in Potiphar’s house. The reason for his success was not merely talent, intelligence, or hard work; the Lord was with him. God’s presence brought favor and blessing not only upon Joseph but also upon the entire household around him. Joseph viewed his work as service unto God.

COLOSSIANS 3:23 Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men,

Believers are instructed to work heartily for the Lord rather than for people.

1 CORINTHIANS 10:31 Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Everything we do should be done for the glory of God. Work is therefore sacred. Our workplace is not separate from our spiritual life; it is one of the places where we worship God through excellence, integrity, diligence, and service.

GENESIS 39:5 It came about that from the time he made him overseer in his house and over all that he owned, the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house on account of Joseph; thus the Lord’s blessing was upon all that he owned, in the house and in the field.

When we please God at work, we become channels of blessing to others. God can use our faithfulness to impact coworkers, employers, customers, and communities. Success from God is not simply personal advancement but influence that reflects His goodness and expands His kingdom.

PLEASE GOD IN YOUR PRIVATE LIFE.

GENESIS 39:6 …Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance. 7 It came about after these events that his master’s wife looked with desire at Joseph, and she said, “Lie with me.” 8 But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, with me here, my master does not concern himself with anything in the house, and he has put all that he owns in my charge. 9 There is no one greater in this house than I, and he has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great evil and sin against God?” 10 As she spoke to Joseph day after day, he did not listen to her to lie beside her or be with her.

Joseph faced temptation from Potiphar’s wife. Joseph understood that sin is ultimately against God. Even though no one else may have known, Joseph knew the Lord sees the heart. His refusal was rooted not merely in loyalty to his master but in reverence for God.

This passage highlights the importance of character. Competence may open doors, but character sustains a godly life. Pleasing God is not only about public ministry or visible success; it includes our private thoughts, decisions, and hidden actions. Joseph consistently avoided temptation rather than entertaining it. Eventually, he literally fled from sin. Sometimes spiritual victory does not mean standing and fighting but wisely running away from situations that weaken us.

The Christian life requires continual dependence upon Christ. Victory yesterday does not guarantee victory tomorrow. We need God’s grace daily to remain faithful and pure before Him.

PLEASE GOD EVEN IF…

GENESIS 39:16 So she left his garment beside her until his master came home. 17 Then she spoke to him with these words, “The Hebrew slave, whom you brought to us, came in to me to make sport of me; 18 and as I raised my voice and screamed, he left his garment beside me and fled outside.” 19 Now when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spoke to him, saying, “This is what your slave did to me,” his anger burned. 20 So Joseph’s master took him and put him into the jail, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined; and he was there in the jail. But the Lord was with Joseph and extended kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the chief jailer. 22 The chief jailer committed to Joseph’s charge all the prisoners who were in the jail; so that whatever was done there, he was responsible for it. 23 The chief jailer did not supervise anything under Joseph’s charge because the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made to prosper.

Joseph suffered unjustly after doing what was right. He was falsely accused and imprisoned despite his integrity. From a human perspective, obedience seemed to lead to suffering rather than reward. Yet even in prison, God remained with Joseph, granting him favor and purpose.

This teaches an important spiritual truth: God is more concerned with who we are becoming than merely what we accomplish. Sometimes obedience leads through hardship, misunderstanding, or disappointment. Yet God never abandons His people in suffering. Joseph’s circumstances changed repeatedly, but God’s presence never left him.

ISAIAH 49:15 “Can a woman forget her nursing child And have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you. 16 Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands…

God assures His people that He will never forget them. Human beings may fail, reject, betray, or abandon us, but God remembers His children continually. Even in seasons when we feel unseen or forgotten, the Lord remains faithful.

2 CORINTHIANS 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

Everyone will stand before the judgment seat of Christ. This is not about salvation by works but accountability for how we lived our lives before God. Our choices, motives, priorities, and faithfulness matter eternally.

Joseph’s life demonstrates a consistent desire to please God in family relationships, work responsibilities, private character, and difficult trials. Though imperfect, his life pointed toward faithfulness and trust in God.

May our ambition also be this: to walk by faith, to honor Christ in every area of life, and to be remembered as people who lived lives pleasing to the Lord.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for speaking to us through Your Word and through the life of Joseph. Thank You for reminding us that no matter our background, circumstances, or struggles, we can still live lives that are pleasing to You.

Lord, help us to walk by faith every day. Teach us to forgive quickly, love deeply, work faithfully, and live with integrity even when no one is watching. Strengthen us to resist temptation and remain faithful to You in every season of life.

When we face difficulties, remind us that You are always with us just as You were with Joseph. Help us trust that You can use even painful situations for good and for Your glory. Keep our hearts focused not on the approval of people, but on pleasing You alone.

May our lives reflect Christ in our homes, workplaces, relationships, and private moments. Let us be remembered as people who honored You and walked faithfully with You.

We commit everything to You now. Guide us, protect us, and continue to transform us each day.

In Jesus’ name we pray,

Amen.

The content of this article is adapted from the source below:

Blessed to Bless - Please God in Everything