God is With Us

 The story of Joseph in the book of Genesis inspires me. The tapestry of God's sovereignty is the backdrop for Joseph's experiences. He is wronged by his brothers, by Potiphar's wife, and then forgotten by the Pharaohs cup bearer. He goes from being his father's favorite son to forgotten in prison. Through all of it we read, "God was with him," over and over again. 

I have no idea what circumstances you are facing right now. You may have been wronged. Betrayed. Seeing anger boils beneath the surface. You want to retaliate. To have vengeance. To get even. To repay evil for evil. If you feel that way, the story of Joseph is a slap in the face. Joseph served faithfully even though he was wronged repeatedly. He continued to shine for the Lord. 

No matter where Joseph ended up, he kept standing out and being faithful. He did that as a slave in Potiphar's house. We do not read one sentence about Joseph whining, sulking, or doing slothful work. We read about him serving faithfully. Getting entrusted with more and more responsibilities. That is just the opposite of what many people do. They pout and do a poor job because of a sour attitude. 

Joseph was falsely accused of a sexual offense and imprisoned unjustly. He did not grow bitter. He did not slump despondently in a corner and give up. He kept serving faithfully to the point he was entrusted with responsibilities even in prison. He thought of others before himself. He encouraged himself that God was with him. 

God is with us too. In our triumphs and trials, God remains with us. He is with us when we rejoice in pools of blessings. He is still with us when the winds of adversity blows against our every step. He is with us when all is smooth sailing and He is still with us with the seas are tempest tossed. He is with us in the joyous mornings as well as the nights of weeping. 

It may not feel that way. You may sit feeling abandoned. Wondering why God has forsaken you. You may question why He delays in delivering you. You may question everything you thought you knew about God. It escapes our attention that God may have purpose in the pain. He may have ordained the ordeals we are currently navigating. 

Will we still serve a God we do not understand? Will we keep believing that He is with us in the pain and prisons of our predicaments. You might be staring out the windows with prison bars obscuring the view of sunlit pleasant paths. What we believe in those situations is paramount. Do we believe God is with us? Do we believe that He has not forsaken us? Do we believe that He still knows best? 

We can only see from such a limited perspective. We cannot even see with any reasonable reassurance what will happen in the next hour much less what will occur days, weeks, months, and years from now. Joseph could only see prison bars. God saw the Pharaoh's palace. Joseph could only feel the pain of wrongs done to Him. God knew the pain Joseph endured would eventually lead to relieving pain for millions in the coming famine. Joseph could only question purposes of God what his limited point of view. God saw the preservation of His Abrahamic covenant through Joseph's faithfulness in prison and willingness to interpret some seemingly meaningless dreams o some fellow prisoners. Joseph could have been so self-absorbed that he was not ready for his defining moment. 

Joseph was ready because he continually remembered God was with him. Even in prison. He is with us too. We cannot fathom the tapestry of all the layers and implications of the places God puts us, the timing of that placement, and purpose for our prison like moments. 

God was with Joseph. The cupbearer eventually remembered Joseph when the king had his dreams. Joseph was summoned. He went from prison to the palace in a moment. Later Joseph would testify that what his bothers meant for evil God meant for good. That God sent him to Egypt to suffer a little in order to save the nation of Israel during a seven year famine. 

It may not always feel like God is with us. It may not always appear that God is with us. He is. He will never leave us or forsake us. He is with us in the painful moments of our personal prisons. He is also with us in the greatest moments of our lives. Joseph could not get to the palace without first going through the prison. God was with him every step of the way. Just like He is with us on our journeys. I hope we will draw strength from that simple truth that God is with us.