Road trips require NBA teams to adjust their routines. Time zones change, meal schedules are disrupted, and sleep becomes erratic. Most teams would rather play at home in front of a friendly crowd. The longer the trip, the harder it can be to play well. During the 2020 pandemic, road trips became especially difficult for NBA players under strict restrictions. There were basically two places to go: the gym or the hotel room.

Genesis 37 – Providential Detour

Joseph was sent on a long road trip against his will. In Genesis 37, the story shifts to Joseph, who becomes the central character for much of the rest of Genesis. At just 17, this journey would change the course of his life. Favored by his father and hated by his brothers, Joseph became the target of their growing jealousy. Eventually, they sold their own brother into slavery and sent him toward Egypt.

Joseph’s long road would test him severely, but God would use every mile to accomplish His purposes. Jacob’s favoritism put Joseph in a difficult position. Joseph shared his dreams with brothers who had no desire to hear what God might be doing. And the deception that characterized Jacob’s earlier life returned when his sons deceived him about Joseph’s fate.

Yet above the jealousy, hatred, deception, and sinful choices stood the providence of a sovereign God. Joseph’s brothers made terrible choices, but they could not derail God’s plan. What looked like the destruction of Joseph’s future became part of the road God used to fulfill His purposes. As Matthew Henry observed, “God’s providences often seem to contradict His purposes, even when they are serving them.”