The Lord was with Joseph. —Genesis 39:2
In Genesis 39, we learn the secret to staying tender and tenacious through suffering. Four times it says: “The Lord was with Joseph.”
The Lord was with him when his brothers threw him in a pit. He was with him when he was sold as a slave to Egypt. He was with him when he was falsely accused of attempted rape and thrown into prison. He was with him when the baker and the cupbearer forgot about him, leaving him in prison for two additional years.
God was with Joseph. And that changed everything. God’s nearness was Joseph’s good (Psalm 73:28), and it resulted in the saving of many lives and the preservation of God’s chosen people.
God’s nearness was Joseph’s good, so he was able to say, “God did this to me so that others could live.”
Had Joseph remained at home, comfortably cloaked in the favor of his father, history would tell a different story today. But God mercifully moved Joseph and gifted him with a long season of suffering and the intimate experience of His transforming presence.
------------------
“When Your Dreams Die: An Invitation to Compassion” (ReviveOurHearts.com/blog)
Scripture taken from The CSB
Make it Personal
Reflect on the ways God has been near to you during past difficulties. How did the fact that He was “with” you make a difference?