God is with us as he was with them, even in times of difficulty

By Dean Collins

Often there are benefits to having someone with you. If you have a long drive, a companion in the front seat helps pass the time, gives you someone to talk with, and may provide a second driver when you get tired. Having someone with you when you must lift or move furniture or relocate plants in the garden can prevent injury and speed up your project.

But having someone with you doesn’t necessarily mean there won’t be problems along the way. Consider Joseph and his brothers. Whenever Joseph was with the brothers, there were episodes of bragging, arguing, jealousy, deceit, and threats of violence. Ultimately, Joseph’s brothers sold him to Ishmaelite traders who in turn sold him to Potiphar in Egypt.

The Lord was with him

The first mention of the Lord being with Joseph was after he was traded as a slave and Potiphar noticed the Lord was with Joseph. I wonder what it was that allowed Potiphar to observe this divine connection. According to the text, it was because he observed that Joseph succeeded in everything he did. I hope that is not the evidence required to know that God is with a person, because there are numerous things I don’t think I succeed in!

Potiphar was impressed with the number of responsibilities Joseph could handle. He demonstrated honesty and loyalty and was seen as so trustworthy that Potiphar said he didn’t worry about anything with Joseph managing things. It is a great witness when our character is so clear to those around us.

Problems were with him, too

But the Lord’s presence with Joseph didn’t keep him from being falsely accused. It didn’t keep him from being thrown in prison, even when he was innocent. And once again, in the prison Joseph found favor with the warden because “The Lord was with Joseph and he succeeded in all he did.”

But where was the Lord when Joseph was falsely accused? And where was the Lord when Joseph was sold as a slave? The scriptures are filled with promises that God is our defender, protector, and deliverer. Does he do this occasionally or all the time?

Sometimes, as people of faith, we get the erroneous idea that following God means life will be easy, that no one will give us a hard time, and that success is guaranteed and instant. Yet a careful reading of scripture shows that people of faith will often be treated harshly, are at times falsely accused, and suffer difficult situations. Joseph, Moses, Joshua, David, the prophets, and the apostles all experienced hardship and often faced enemies; yet the Lord was with them.

He promises his presence

The final words of Jesus recorded in Matthew give his instructions for us to go and make disciples. He ends with these words: “And I will be with you even until the end of the age.”

Some of our heroes of faith experienced sudden deliverance in times of trouble, while others experienced long seasons of suffering. It was 22 years after Joseph was sold into slavery that he saw his father again. Yet his long season in Egypt led to provision for his father, his brothers, and all of their families. God was with Joseph even on days it may not have appeared obvious to Joseph.

God was with Joseph even on days it may not have appeared obvious to Joseph.

I suspect you will have days like that as well. I know I do. Many times the results of things around us may cause us to question God’s presence, yet we have the promise of scripture that Jesus is with us always, even until the end. In fact, the presence of God in our life may lead to us being given significant responsibilities. In the Joseph story, he was put in a crisis management situation handling resources for the nation during times of plenty and times of famine. I’m guessing there were days Joseph thought he was untrained and over his head with such an assignment.

You may have seasons when you are sure that the level of responsibility you have been given is a burden when in reality you were given that responsibility by the Lord so that others would be blessed and God would be glorified.

Lord, we know you are with us. Thank you for your promise to never abandon or forsake us. We surrender our lives to you and ask that you lead us to succeed in what we do so that others will see you at work through us. Be glorified in our work, in our speech, in our character, and with our behavior. May it be evident to others that you are with us and that your great desire is that they allow you to be with them as well. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Your time with God’s Word
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭39‬:‭2-3‬, 23; 41:38-39, 41; Matthew 28:20 ‭NLT‬‬

Photo by David Lezcano on Unsplash

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