One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

We've all heard the phrase, “One step forward, two steps back.” We use it in relation to the lack of progress that we perceive to be made in our lives. When we move up the ladder in our careers, relationships, or finances, we expect that we will continue to move in this direction. And when life takes an unwanted turn in the opposite direction, we are left feeling like the progress that we did make, is useless. I've been there, and I know you have too. Maybe your relationship got better… you took a step forward, only to then get into an argument that was so heated, that you feel like you've now taken two steps back. Or maybe you got an amazing promotion at work, and you tell yourself, “I’m only going up from here.” Only to find yourself laid off a couple of years later. And when that season hits, you feel like everything you’ve achieved up until that point, is lost. You feel like, regardless of the wins of your past, now, that you’ve taken two steps back, you’re even worse off than you were before.

But I want you to know that when we are walking with God, those seasons of taking two steps back, are actually moving us further along in His plan for our lives.

And I have to say this, because maybe you are in that place now. Maybe at this point in your life, you aren’t satisfied with your circumstances, and maybe you’re wishing you could go back to those good old days, when your life was flourishing, and you had more than enough. Maybe you feel like you took one step forward, only to take two steps back. And I get it. I’ve felt that way before. But I want to share something that I’ve noticed in my journey of walking with God.

The reality of where we are in life, is not an accurate depiction of our progress in God’s plan for our lives.

When we walk with God, we tend to think that every positive thing that comes our way is taking us in the direction of His calling, but we fail to see that often, those negative things in our lives, are also taking us in the direction of His calling. This is the reality of what will occur, when our eyes are fixed on Him.

I have experienced this in my life, but the examples that stand out the most are those that occurred as I sought healing for my marriage. There were times when I felt like my husband and I took a huge step forward. We were in a place of reconciliation that was almost a milestone in our journey. But then at some point, we would get into a disagreement that I viewed as being so great, that it took our progress two steps back. And I want you to notice my wording. I viewed the situation as taking my relationship two steps back. But this was not an accurate picture of the situation. Those moments were actually meant to show us something about ourselves and our marriage. It was in those times that God spoke to me and my husband. Those were moments of correction and redirection. Those moments showed us the areas that needed more care and prayer. And in those times, as we went to God in our grief, disappointment, or anger, He worked in our hearts, counseled us, turned us back towards each other, and brought us to a place of healing. He healed our marriage in places that we didn’t know we needed healing in. So while I perceived that we were moving backwards, God was moving us further in the direction of His promises for our marriage.

But I don’t want you to take my word for it. Let’s look at the life of Joseph. If there is anyone in the bible that knew something about what we call, one step forward, two steps back, it’s Joseph. As a child of Jacob, He was favored from the beginning. His father loved him so much, that he had a custom robe made just for him. And His brothers despised him. They hated him because their father loved Joseph more than he loved them.

Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other children because Joseph had been born to him in his old age. So one day Jacob had a special gift made for Joseph—a beautiful robe. But his brothers hated Joseph because their father loved him more than the rest of them. They couldn’t say a kind word to him. (Genesis 37:3-4 NLT)

Joseph is known for his prophetic dreams, and his ability to interpret the dreams of others. The book of Genesis records two of Joseph’s dreams. Both dreams were a prophesy that depicted his family bowing down to him in the future. And when Joseph told his brothers about the dreams, they grew to hate him even more.

His brothers responded, “So you think you will be our king, do you? Do you actually think you will reign over us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dreams and the way he talked about them. (Genesis 37:8 NLT)

One day, Jacob sent Joseph to check on his brothers in the fields, but his brothers secretly plotted to kill him.

“Here comes the dreamer!” they said. “Come on, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns. We can tell our father, ‘A wild animal has eaten him.’ Then we’ll see what becomes of his dreams!” But when Reuben heard of their scheme, he came to Joseph’s rescue. “Let’s not kill him,” he said. (Genesis 37:19-21 NLT)

Reuben was able to convince his brothers not to kill Joseph; instead, he convinced them to throw him in an empty cistern.

So when Joseph arrived, his brothers ripped off the beautiful robe he was wearing. Then they grabbed him and threw him into the cistern. Now the cistern was empty; there was no water in it. (Genesis 37:23-24 NLT)

Can you imagine how Joseph felt in that moment? He is the younger brother of the bunch, and he was only doing what his father required of him. And here he is, betrayed by those closest to him. He’s probably afraid, not knowing what lies ahead of him.

And as this is happening, a group of Ishmaelite traders is passing by, and another one of Joseph’s brothers intercedes.

Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain by killing our brother? We’d have to cover up the crime. Instead of hurting him, let’s sell him to those Ishmaelite traders. After all, he is our brother—our own flesh and blood!” And his brothers agreed. (Genesis 37:26-27 NLT)

So Joseph is sold to these traders, and taken to Egypt.

But I want to recap the events that led up to this point. Because Joseph is probably distraught at this point, because he was betrayed by his own brothers. But what Joseph didn’t know, is that God was with him. Even as he was being sold into slavery, God was with him. And I believe that Joseph’s brother Judah signifies the protection of God over his life. Out of anyone that God could have chosen to save Joseph’s life, God chose Judah, the man that would give lineage to our Lord and Savior, the Lion of Judah, Jesus Christ. Judah was a vessel that God used to push Joseph towards his destiny.

But, I’m sure that this wasn't Joseph view of the situation. I’m sure he’s not sitting there, as a slave, thinking, I know God is still with me…After all, Joseph was not some super human. He was favored, yes, but he was still only a man. And most likely, just like us, he was thinking… I just took two steps back. Here he was, the most favored of all his brothers, and now look at him, he is now a slave…the least of all his brothers. But Joseph’s story is only just getting started.

Once Joseph arrives in Egypt, he is sold to an Egyptian officer, the captain of the guard for Pharaoh. Now, I just want to take a moment to let that sink in. Out of everyone that could have purchased Joseph, he ends up with this guy, one of the most influential men in Egypt. This is the favor of God at work in his life.

As Joseph worked for Potiphar, he succeeded in everything he did because God was with him.

The Lord was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master. Potiphar noticed this and realized that the Lord was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did. This pleased Potiphar, so he soon made Joseph his personal attendant. He put him in charge of his entire household and everything he owned. From the day Joseph was put in charge of his master’s household and property, the Lord began to bless Potiphar’s household for Joseph’s sake. All his household affairs ran smoothly, and his crops and livestock flourished. (Genesis 39:2-5 NLT)

God's hand was on Joseph. Everything he did prospered, so much so, that his master could see the favor of God on his life. So he put Joseph is charge of his entire household. Joseph is a slave; yet, he is favored by God.

When we are walking with God, it doesn’t matter how many steps back we’ve taken, His hand is still on us. We can still prosper, in our seasons of drought.

“But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit…” (Jeremiah 17:7-8 NLT)

Regardless of his circumstances, Joseph never stopped producing fruit. And his fruitfulness did not only affect his life; it affected the lives of those around him.

As Joseph continued to serve his master well, Potiphar’s wife began to have an interest in him. So she began to pressure him to sleep with her; only, he was not willing. So one day, as she was enticing Joseph, he refused, and ran away.

But Joseph refused… “…How could I do such a wicked thing? It would be a great sin against God.” (Genesis 39:8-9 NLT)

Joseph’s response to Potiphar’s wife gives us a glimpse into his mindset at the time. Here he is, a slave, but he hasn’t turned his face from God. He’s human, maybe he was tempted to take her up on her offer, but for him, pleasing God was more important. Joseph remained a servant of God, even through his captivity.

But Potiphar's wife was furious with Joseph. As he left, she screamed, and accused him of rape. And when her husband found out, he had Joseph thrown into prison.

So now, Joseph has gone from being in charge of a prominent man’s household, to being a prisoner. Joseph took a step forward, only to then take two steps back. But, none of this changed the favor of God that was on Joseph’s life.

But the Lord was with Joseph in the prison and showed him his faithful love. And the Lord made Joseph a favorite with the prison warden. Before long, the warden put Joseph in charge of all the other prisoners and over everything that happened in the prison. The warden had no more worries, because Joseph took care of everything. The Lord was with him and caused everything he did to succeed. (Genesis 39:21-23 NLT)

While in prison, Joseph meets two men that have been thrown in there by Pharaoh, the chief cup-bearer, and the chief baker. One night, both of these men had dreams, but they were unable to interpret them.

And they replied, “We both had dreams last night, but no one can tell us what they mean.” “Interpreting dreams is God’s business,” Joseph replied. “Go ahead and tell me your dreams.” (Genesis 40:8 NLT)

As Joseph is interpreting the dreams, he tells the chief cup-bearer that his dream meant that Pharaoh would restore him to chief cup-bearer in three days. And Joseph asked that the cup-bearer remember him once he is in the presence of Pharaoh again. As for the chief baker, Joseph told him that Pharaoh would order him to be killed in three days.

Joseph’s interpretation of these two men’s dreams turned out to be correct. The cup-bearer's position was restored, and the baker was killed. But, the cup-bearer did not remember Joseph.

At this point, Joseph probably felt like his chance to get out of prison is lost. But he had no idea that God was preparing the way for him. This tragedy of being falsely imprisoned, was actually a setup by God.

Two years later, Pharaoh had a dream. A dream that was so startling, that he sought out anyone that could interpret it. Only, none of his wise men were able to interpret it. But in that moment, the chief cup-bearer remembered Joseph, the man that interpreted his dream correctly, a couple of years earlier.

Pharaoh sent for Joseph at once, and he was quickly brought from the prison…Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream last night, and no one here can tell me what it means. But I have heard that when you hear about a dream you can interpret it.” (Genesis 41:14-15 NLT)

“It is beyond my power to do this,” Joseph replied. “But God can tell you what it means and set you at ease.” (Genesis 41:16 NLT)

Once Pharaoh told Joseph his dream, Joseph interpreted it. He told Pharaoh that his dream meant that Egypt would have seven years of prosperity up ahead, but that following this period of flourishing, Egypt would then experience a devastating famine.

“This will happen just as I have described it, for God has revealed to Pharaoh in advance what he is about to do. The next seven years will be a period of great prosperity throughout the land of Egypt. But afterward there will be seven years of famine so great that all the prosperity will be forgotten in Egypt. Famine will destroy the land. (Genesis 41:28-30 NLT)

Joseph counseled Pharaoh on the matter. He told Pharaoh that he should select a wise man to put in charge of the land. Then Joseph told him that he should select supervisors to collect a portion of the crops during the years of prosperity. Joseph's plan was to store those crops away so that their would be food available during the years of famine. And Pharaoh was pleased with the plan that Joseph presented.

Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has revealed the meaning of the dreams to you, clearly no one else is as intelligent or wise as you are. You will be in charge of my court, and all my people will take orders from you. Only I, sitting on my throne, will have a rank higher than yours.” (Genesis 41:39-40 NLT)

This was God’s plan all along. To position Joseph in this place of prominence. Do you remember the dreams that were given to Joseph as a young man? That one day, his family would bow before him? Well, that is exactly what happened.

Joseph’s interpretation of Pharaoh’s dream was correct. But famine did not only occur in Egypt. Canaan, Joseph’s homeland, suffered from the famine as well. So Joseph’s family began to run out of food to eat. And because word traveled that there was grain for purchase in Egypt, Jacob sent his son’s to buy enough grain for the family.

So Jacob’s sons arrived in Egypt along with others to buy food, for the famine was in Canaan as well. Since Joseph was governor of all Egypt and in charge of selling grain to all the people, it was to him that his brothers came. When they arrived, they bowed before him with their faces to the ground. (Genesis 42:5-6 NLT)

The prophetic dreams that Joseph had, came to pass. He became second in command in the entire land of Egypt. He was responsible for saving the entire land. He was responsible for saving his family, the patriarchs of the entire nation of Israel. But none of this would have been possible without those seasons where Joseph took two steps back. And in those seasons, although I’m sure he went through emotional lows, Joseph always stewarded over where he was.

Stewardship is the prerequisite for elevation.

Why was Joseph promoted when he was a slave and a prisoner? It was because he served relentlessly, regardless of his circumstances. He was a slave; his life was not his own; yet, he still served his master with excellence. And then he was wrongly imprisoned, but he still served with excellence. He even served his fellow prisoners, the chief cup-bearer and the chief baker. He didn’t have to. He could have minded his own business, but he didn’t. Instead, he served with excellence, and allowed himself to be used by God. And this is what lead to his ultimate opportunity, the chance to be called before Pharaoh.

Stewardship is a seed.

Joseph’s serving, and stewardship, as he interpreted dreams, was a seed that was being planted for his future. And seeds take time. That is what we must remember. Our seeds of faithfulness take time to mature. What you are doing right now, is a seed for your future. Your serving, your giving, your stewardship, is a seed. And as in Joseph’s situation, your seeds will bear fruit. In God’s perfect timing.

Because Joseph decided to steward over each situation, he was able to gain the skills that were necessary for his future.

Seasons of stewardship are seasons of preparation.

Through his slavery and imprisonment, Joseph learned how to lead. First, he led a household. Then, he led a prison. And in the end, he led an entire nation.

This is so powerful. Every time Joseph took two steps back, he wasn’t actually moving backwards in his destiny. He was really moving closer to the place that he needed to be, to be elevated to his destiny. Joseph disappointments were actually just stepping stones in God’s perfect plan for his life.

As we walk with God, He might lead us through seasons where it feels like we are taking two steps back. But everything isn’t always as it seems. Joseph’s life is a depiction of what it means to walk by faith. Even in the valley, God is with us. Even in those seasons, as we steward over what He has put in our hands, He is preparing us for the destiny that he is leading us to.

So what has God put in your hands? What situation are you in right now, where you feel like you’ve taken two steps back? Are you serving there? Are you stewarding over your season? Are you doing it with excellence? This is how God prepares is.

God doesn’t prepare us on the mountaintop; He prepares us in the valley.

So if you are in a valley, it doesn’t mean that you are further away from your destination. When you are serving Jesus, you are always closer to the place that he’s prepared for you. But don’t forget that stewardship is your seed for your future. So steward over wherever He has you, and keep your eyes fixed on Him. He’s opening the doors before you, and He’s preparing you to walk through them.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank you for always leading me in the direction of your plan for my life. Even now, if I am not in the place that you desire me to be, redirect my steps, and place me in the middle of your will. Forgive me for not stewarding over this season of my life. Forgive me for not serving with excellence. Right now, I ask that you give me the desire and the ability to do what pleases you. I want to be wherever you are. I want only those things that you want for my life. I will trust in you on the mountaintops, and I will trust you in the valleys, because I know that you work all things together for my good. I put my faith and hope in You. I will wait on You. In Jesus’ name, amen.