Shalom… The name of the Lord be blessed. Welcome as we continue to learn God’s Word, which is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. (Psalm 119:105)
Today, let us remind ourselves how God works so that we do not fall into complaining when we find ourselves going through situations different from what we expected. Like many of us know, the life of Joseph in the Bible carries a very great lesson about how God can lift a person who is hopeless in suffering and raise him up again.
But alongside that, there is an important thing to learn about Joseph… When you look at every stage Joseph went through, you realize God was with him and never left him.
You will see when he was in Potiphar’s house—even though he was a slave in that house—God made everything he did prosper. Even the livestock given to him to manage grew and were healthier than those of the other workers. Maybe the field he was put in charge of produced more than those of other slaves. Everything Potiphar sent him to do succeeded, unlike when other slaves were sent on errands. Because of this, Potiphar his master saw it and decided to put him in charge of all his household, seeing that this young man had favor and success.
Genesis 39:2-6 (ESV):
“The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master.
3 His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord caused all that he did to succeed in his hands.
4 So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him, and he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had.
5 From the time that he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had, the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had, in house and field.
6 He left all that he had in Joseph’s charge, and because of him, he had no concern about anything except the food that he ate.”
Similarly, even after Joseph was falsely accused of attempted rape and thrown into prison, God remained with him. Just as Potiphar saw God’s favor in Joseph, so did the prison warden. He noticed that ever since Joseph came, the prison’s management improved; things were going well. When Joseph was put in charge of the prisoners, troubles among them decreased. Perhaps the warden wished Joseph would remain a prisoner forever because things were running so smoothly.
What can we learn from this? Even in slavery and imprisonment, God is with His people. Many do not know this; they think that when a Christian faces troubles, it means God has abandoned them. Just because you are a slave or working hard for someone else, God is not absent from you. You don’t need special prayers to “be freed.” Just because you clean streets or sell in a gang doesn’t mean you have no chance of success. That is the devil’s lie.
You might work in someone’s house as a servant, but that is not proof that God is not with you. God is with you there just as He was with Joseph in Potiphar’s house. As long as you know you are saved and live according to the words of Jesus Christ, have peace—the Lord’s presence is with you.
Joseph did not have a curse for being sold into slavery; he was a son of Abraham who was blessed.
So be humble and don’t complain; it is only a matter of time. You will be promoted. Look closely—if your leader likes you, enjoys having you around, and succeeds when you are with him more than when with others, that is proof God is working for your success, just as He did for Joseph.
So be humble, keep the Lord’s presence with you—it is just a matter of time. Do not start saying your leader is oppressing you or using you. Stay calm and faithful like Joseph.
God did not fail to bring Joseph out of Potiphar’s house to himself and bless him personally, but He kept Joseph with Potiphar for a special purpose. God did not bless Joseph’s things directly but blessed Potiphar’s things because of Joseph. He prospered Potiphar’s livestock and field, not Joseph’s—although the source of those blessings was Joseph. Likewise, God prospered the prison warden’s work, not Joseph’s.
But when the right time, day, month, and year came in heaven’s calendar, famine was meant for the whole earth, and through one man—Joseph—the whole world was to receive favor. That time came for Joseph.
Now imagine if God had made Joseph free during Potiphar’s time—living in a beautiful house, prospered and blessed—where would the famine time and Joseph’s wealth be? Would he not have died in the famine like others or sold everything to buy food like others? Where would his houses and livestock be? His father who left him was blessed by God with much livestock and wealth, but despite all that, they had to travel to Egypt to find food.
Do you think Joseph could have survived the famine without going through those steps? No.
So God’s timing is better than any other time. It is not man who decides but God in heaven. What we must do is humble ourselves every day under His purpose and live a life free of complaints, knowing that the Lord’s presence is still with us. Don’t say, “Now I sell this or that; I should be somewhere else or like that person.” Don’t say that. Ask yourself: Are you aligned with God in what you do like Joseph? Even in the middle of distress, suffering, oppression, or slavery, God is with us and plans good things.
If we are faithful to live in His Word, everywhere God’s hand is with us to guide us. There is no place we go where He is not with us. The Bible says so:
Psalm 139:5-12 (ESV):
“You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.
7 Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
9 If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,’
12 even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.”
Therefore, I encourage you who have decided to deny yourself, reject the world, and follow Jesus Christ at any cost: He is truly with you, His Word is not a lie. The Lord’s presence will be with you always. Trust Him more, believe Him more, live a joyful life, and don’t compare yourself to others. Rather, look to God in all your affairs, and He will bring all things to pass in His time.
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The Lord bless you.