Joseph's story
Okay, how HARD is this to believe when life feels unfair, wrong, difficult, painful, etc.. Extremely hard. A few weeks ago I was reading in the story of Joseph, and I was deeply inspired by Joseph’s faith through the trials he endured!!! Joseph was one of the youngest of sons born to Jacob, the first son of Rachel. He was Jacob's favorite kid, and Joseph's older brothers were jealous of him because of it. So naturally, what did his brothers do? Sell him into slavery to the Egyptians when Joseph was just 17. Joseph endured slavery in a land not his own, probably dealt w some major racism, culture shock, extreme hurt by what his brothers did, etc., etc. It was nuts!! Decades later however, Joseph becomes the VP of the Egyptian empire and saves thousands in Egypt and neighboring lands from a devastating famine. If you don't know the full story, I highly recommend reading it! It's full of juicy drama including seductive, tempting women, false accusations, jail stories, famine, jealousy, even more family drama...lol, this story has it all (Genesis 37-48). Here is an adaptation of a conversation I was having with my best friend about Joseph:
Me: I wish there was more that we knew abt how Joseph's heart changed and turned from a young, prideful heart, to one that was humble and pleasing to God. Perhaps the journey from Canaan to Egypt was his breaking point and he realized he had no one else to turn to. But also, the Bible says that the Lord was with Joseph, and I wonder how Joseph knew that. When I read this story, I can think wow, if it was me and had been sold into slavery, I wouldn't think God is with me! But somehow Joseph did, which is why he was successful everywhere he went. Even after being thrown into prison he knew God was with him! I believe God is with me when he fixes problems and situation, but clearly God can be with us even when life is completely awful.
“Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined. But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.”
Genesis 39:20-23 NIV
http://bible.com/111/gen.39.20-23.niv
Therefore, what does it mean that God is with us? How can I be more aware of how God is with me so that my faith in him can grow? Prayer: Father, help me see You even when situations are less than favorable. Help me have a faith and close relationship to you like Joseph, who served and honored you, no matter his situation.
Best friend: This is great!!! I think you just inspired my next teen bible talk haha. I was already thinking about Joseph, but this right here is a great way to look at his story. It's a powerful question to ask, how did Joseph know God was with him? I would even push it further to ask if he even knew or when he figured it out? Maybe it only connected for him when the Pharaoh appointed him to run everything that God was moving in each situation... 🤔 it's deep. But either way we know God was with him in the highs and the lows.
I pray that God will reveal himself to you in the highs and lows. God is faithful, He always provides, and He is always there. He's waiting to hear from you, and waiting for your ear to hear Him.
I leave you with this: “So I reflected on all this and concluded that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God’s hands, but no one knows whether love or hate awaits them. All share a common destiny—the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad, the clean and the unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not. As it is with the good, so with the sinful; as it is with those who take oaths, so with those who are afraid to take them. This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all. The hearts of people, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live, and afterward they join the dead. Anyone who is among the living has hope —even a live dog is better off than a dead lion! For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even their name is forgotten. Their love, their hate and their jealousy have long since vanished; never again will they have a part in anything that happens under the sun. Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do. Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil. Ecclesiastes 9: 1-8
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