It is very tempting to feel that God is not around or has stepped back when we are going through some difficult, trying times. We may think that God is angry at us, or that He has abandoned us, especially if we are going through some very devastating events. Our faith can be severely tested, and sometimes if the trials are particularly severe, some may lose faith all together. Today let us look at a young man, Joseph, who went through some very horrible trials, none of which he deserved, yet his faith, trust, and love of God stood strong.
Joseph was the eleventh of the twelve sons of Jacob, the first by his favorite and most beloved wife Rachel, and thus was Jacob’s favorite son. Because Joseph was his father’s favorite, his other brothers grew to hate him. Their hatred grew to such an extreme that one day when their father had sent him to check on them out in a distant field with their flocks of sheep, they stripped him, threw him into a deep pit, and then sold him to passing merchants (Genesis 37:23-28). These merchants were heading to Egypt, about 300 miles from where the sons of Jacob had been, thus forcing a probably beaten up and scantily clothed Joseph to walk for about two weeks in the hot sun. Once in Egypt the merchants sold him as a slave to Potiphar, the captain of the guard for the Egyptian army.
This is where our Scripture account begins, and one would not be surprised if we read that Joseph was cursing God, angrily screaming out at Him as to why He let all this happen to him, especially after having followed Him for all of his life. However, that is not the case. Joseph’s faith remained intact. As mentioned earlier, many of us feel that we have been abandoned by God when severe trials happen, but we see that God had not abandoned Joseph. We read several times in our Scripture that the Lord was with him, even after his brother’s betrayal, and being sold as a slave (vs. 39:2). As a matter of fact, because Joseph was an extraordinarily bright young man, and had shown himself trustworthy as Potiphar’s slave, he made Joseph the head of his household, his chief steward. God’s presence is not dependent on our circumstances. Even in slavery, Joseph was under divine favor. Our circumstances do not determine God’s nearness - His promises do.
Some time after this, Joseph faced a strong temptation. Potiphar’s wife tried to tempt him to go to bed with her (vs. 39:7-13). As the wife of a high-ranking man in Pharaoh’s court and military, she was undoubtedly quite attractive. However, Joseph refused, as he had integrity. He said that such an act would be a sin against God, and also a betrayal of his master’s trust. Joseph fled, he didn’t negotiate with sin. Sexual purity is non-negotiable for believers. Holiness requires decisive action. Sometimes the most spiritual thing we can do is run when faced with strong temptation.
Circumstances took another turn for the worse in Joseph’s life because of this. Potiphar’s wife told a terrible lie, both to the other servants who were all too quick to believe her, and to her husband. Potiphar then has Joseph thrown into prison, despite doing right (vs. 39:16-20). How many of us would be angry at God right now? We did what was right, and look what happened? Doing right does not guarantee immediate reward, but it is still what believers should do. God allows trials to shape character and to position His servants. Joseph’s suffering was not punishment, it was preparation for what God had planned.
Again Scripture records that God was with Joseph, and he knew it. Rather than getting angry with the Lord, he served Him whatever his circumstances were, and wherever he was. Don’t wait for ideal conditions to serve God. Faithfulness starts where you are. Just like in Potiphar’s household, Joseph’s integrity and trustworthiness showed, and he was placed in a position of trust and authority in the prison (vs. 39:21-23) . It was here that Joseph interpreted the dreams of two of Pharaoh’s servants who were imprisoned. Both dreams came true, and the one who was restored to his position, promised to speak on Joseph’s behalf (vs. 40:1-23). Regarding the dreams, Joseph gave God the credit for the interpretation. He refused to take glory for himself, even though that might have improved his circumstances. Wherever we are, we should always use our gifts, but give God the glory.
Though Pharaoh’s cupbearer forgot about Joseph, the Lord hadn’t. Two years passed, but God’s timing was perfect. Pharoah had a troubling dream, which caused the cupbearer to remember his promise to Joseph, who was quickly brought out of prison where he interpreted Pharaoh’s dream. God orchestrated these events with precision. He can change our situation in a single moment. What seems like delay is really divine timing. By warning of events that were to come, Pharaoh placed Joseph in chief command as his prime minister (vs. 41:37-44).
All of the events in Joseph’s life led up to that moment, and ultimately saved his family, preserving the family line for the Messiah, Jesus Christ (vs. 41:53-57). Just as we have seen that God had not abandoned Joseph, but was continually with him, we can know that He is with us, too, even in our darkest hours. He directs every detail to fulfill His covenant promises. God’s purposes are bigger than our pain. He will use trials to position us for the work He has for us to do for Him.
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