Finding God FaithfulExemplo

Day 5: God Was with Joseph 

We can get through just about any pain or suffering if we know the Lord is in it with us. But when we feel forsaken or abandoned, our pain becomes unbearable. In Genesis 39, you see the recurring phrase, “The Lord was with Joseph.” Joseph’s entire story rests on these five words. They will prove to be an anchor in turbulence and reconciliation in what seems irreconcilable. 

Read Genesis 15:13-14 and Genesis 39:1-6 and think about how Joseph’s forced trip to Egypt was linked to the prophecy God gave Abraham. 

Many years before Joseph’s descent into Egypt God foretold that the Israelites would be enslaved in a foreign land. We don’t know if Joseph was aware of this revelation, but it shows us that God’s hand was on Joseph’s steps even though his journey must have felt fully to the contrary. (Note: I’m not suggesting that the evil plan of the brothers or being sold into slavery were somehow good things because God’s plan was being worked out. Joseph later refers to his brothers’ actions as plainly evil.) The interplay between God’s sovereignty and human evil is a mystery for the ages, but I’m hoping you’ll see that what must have felt entirely out of God’s will for Joseph (arriving in Egypt) was actually part of God’s plan (Israel enslaved in Egypt for four hundred years so that she might grow into a great nation whom God would deliver). 

The fact that the God of Israel was with Joseph in the far away and pagan land of Egypt is so profound and comforting, there’s no way to overstate it. We simply can’t imagine God’s reach.

In our western culture, we tend to think of God’s blessing and our suffering as mutually exclusive. We think of blessings as all the good things happening in the middle of all the good times. But in Joseph’s story we discover something that challenges our mind-set, even as believers: Certain blessings can only come in the midst of our suffering. In Egypt, Joseph was rising in power and position. He had found favor with his master, and his work was prospering. Still, all these blessings fell upon Joseph in a land far away from his family and in a culture that didn’t worship his God. The blessings were abounding in the midst of His suffering. 

Are you refusing God’s blessings in the midst of your trial? Take some time to surrender your pain to the Lord. Tell Him you’re willing to receive His blessings even if they look different than what you’re hoping for. Thank Him for His presence with you and ask Him to manifest that presence so that it brings you peace, comfort, and joy. 

For more of this study by author Kelly Minter, visit LifeWay.com/FindingGodFaithful.