| He has put his angels in charge of you to watch over you wherever you go. |
| —Psalm 91:11 NCV |
Do you enjoy being in charge? The person in charge usually gets to sway opinions and the direction of the group that he or she leads: the college homecoming festivities, the annual yearbook, the decorating committee, the gala banquet, or even the Pastor Nominating Committee. The one in charge has a great deal of responsibility. But, being in charge can certainly feel good.
Joseph must have felt highly honored, yet very much surprised, when Potiphar, an official in Pharaoh’s court of Egypt, put Joseph in charge of everything Potiphar owned. Genesis 39:3-4 tells us:
When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned.
We don’t know much about Potiphar. Perhaps he felt great relief in having someone so competent as Joseph acting as his steward. In Genesis 39:6, the Scripture states:
“So he left in Joseph’s care everything he had; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.”
This statement makes me wonder if Potiphar had more than he could handle and had become anxious about it. He allowed Joseph’s help to relieve him of the anxiety he had over everything. Joseph certainly was a highly competent, fiercely loyal, and dedicated steward.
It is important to note that a steward is defined as: “a servant or slave elevated to a position of responsibility in his or her master’s kingdom.” Even though he or she remains a servant or slave, a steward thinks only of what is the very best action to take, in order to support his or her master. A steward sets aside any personal feelings or desires that he or she may have. Instead, a steward focuses every bit of his or her attention on the wishes of his or her master.
As I think about Potiphar turning over everything he valued to the stewardship of Joseph, it reminds me of times when responsibility has weighed heavily on me. What do we do when we have neither the ability, nor the confidence, to handle something with which we have to deal?
Does God give us tasks with which He knows we will struggle? What if we are given a child with special needs that, in our own strength, we have no way of meeting? We may feel the weight of not having the wherewithal to successfully perform the tasks that make up our responsibility. Yet, we find ourselves seemingly in charge.
Or, what about a dangerous job assignment that feels way too much for us? Or, helping a parent who no longer can stay in his or her home alone? Or, what about guiding our business, in order to make enough income to support our employees and satisfy our stockholders? Or, what about … Well, you can name some situation you have faced where you were placed in charge.
In puzzling over this dilemma, I remembered what the Psalmist told us in Psalm 91. This Psalm is chock-full of promises of protection and help for the person “who dwells in the shelter of the Most High and rests in the shadow of the Almighty.”
When it comes to the really important things in our lives, what a relief to know that God has not put us solely in charge. Instead, in order to supply protection and help, God has actually put His mighty angels in charge!
How easy it must be for them to handle the problem. Like Potiphar, we don’t have to concern ourselves with anything! Let us rest easy and give praise to God.
