Gen 39 - 41
The story of Joseph's betrayal and eventual rise to a place of authority, is my favorite Bible story. 

Joseph had reached some definite lows and highs in life...he was the favored son of his wealthy father, only to be betrayed by his brothers into slavery, a definite low.  Then to be bought as a common slave to become the powerful steward of all his master possessed.  Things were looking up.  Then to be falsely accused by his master's wife,  I would consider this a low.  He is now in prison and put in charge of the whole place.  This would be a high (considering the reason he was there in the first place).  Then a ray of hope comes into his life with the restoration of the butler to Pharaoh's court.  But it's TWO YEARS before he reaps what was sown into the butler's life.  That would make me feel a little low.  Then, when it was least expected, Joseph is summoned to Pharaoh's presence.  It was only uphill from there...or was it?  Verses 51-52 of chapter 41 give us a little insight into his heart.  He was no longer physically a slave or in prison, but he was still a man betrayed by family and living in a country that was not his own.  He must have been very lonely.  So in some ways I think he was still a slave/prisoner even while being one of the most powerful men in Egypt.  I think if given the choice, he would have been back with his father, but he knew that God's ways are above our ways and that his life-focus was to see God glorified, no matter what. I've always found it fascinating that he did not use his power to reach out to his family.

But all he'd been through only caused Joseph to draw closer to God.  His physical circumstances did not rule his life.  To see God glorified, as a life-focus, does not come easily and is a process.  I don't know how long the trip was from the place he was sold until he reached Egypt, but I think there was a lot of soul-surrendering going on during that trip.  The evidence of his surrender to God must have been physically visible (Gen 39:3), "And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand."  This story encourages me to meet life with a surrendered heart, not to circumstances but to the One who controls all circumstances.
 

Enjoy the day.......Pam