Joseph’s life in the Bible illustrates how life is like a stack of playing cards.

Joseph was born in Israel. He got a dream of being a ruler over many. Shortly after the prophecy he became a slave in Egypt. Soon Joseph rose up and became the right hand man of Potiphar – the Captain of the Guard. But he was accused wrongly by Potiphar’s wife and ended up in the King’s prison (Genesis 39:20). Many years later Joseph rose up again and became the right hand man of Pharaoh, finally ruling over many.

Joseph lived in 3 different stacks of cards during his life.

The first stack was Joseph’s life in Israel where he grew up and received the dream from God. If he was a playing card he was probably some where in the middle of the stack because he was greatly favored by his father. He assumed he would be a ruler over many in Israel because this was the stack of cards he was in.

But the dream given by God to Joseph was bigger than this first stack of cards he was living in. So God moved Joseph to a bigger stack – the Captain of the Guard’s stack in Egypt. Key point to notice, when you move to a bigger stack you have to start at the bottom! Joseph started out as a slave. This is definitely at the bottom of the deck!

Joseph played the cards dealt him and moved up the stack. He started out as a slave to the Captain and eventually ran his whole house.

But the dream given by God to Joseph was bigger than this second stack of cards. It was time for God to change his deck of cards and move him again.

After Joseph was wrongly accused by Potiphar’s wife he went to the third stack. The bottom of the third stack. He became a prisoner. Notice, he didn’t go to just any prison – but the king’s prison. He was now in the stack where the king lived. Unfortunately, he had to start at the bottom again.

Are you starting to see the process of promotion?

Joseph was constantly being moved to the bottom of the new card stack in order to fulfill the dream on his life. The same thing is going on with you. There is movement in your life because God is moving you to a different stack of cards so that your destiny can be fulfilled! But you have to start at the bottom after each move!

Joseph became ruler over many. Not the many of Israel in the first stack as he first thought, not the many in the Captain of the Guard’s stack, but the many of Pharaoh’s empire.

What’s the moral of this little story? Play with the cards you are dealt. God only deals good hands. Continue to play with any new decks you are shuffled into. If you get sent to the bottom of the deck it is a good thing. You have just been promoted to a bigger stack of cards. Your potential has increased!