When going through difficulties (1)

To reach his destiny, Joseph went through betrayal, temptation, slander and wrongful imprisonment. But he came out on top. Here's what Joseph recognised, that we need to recognise too: (1) God knows what we're going through, and he cares. This key phrase appears five times in the story of Joseph: 'But the Lord was with Joseph.' Even when everything was going wrong, Joseph never doubted God was with him.

(2) We've been given freedom of choice. God gives us freedom to choose how we'll react to our circumstances: faith or doubt, joy or despair, patience or impatience, etc. When we choose to ignore what's right, God won't force his will on us. The truth is, his will (which is always good and healthy) isn't always carried out. He has a plan for our lives, but he's also given us free will. And because he's given others free will, their mistakes and decisions will also impact us.

(3) God's in charge of the final outcome. He can take every negative circumstance in our lives and turn it around for good. In the end, Joseph could say, 'You tried to harm me, but God made it turn out for the best' (see Genesis 50:20 CEV). While God was working to bring good out of his situation, Joseph had to keep trusting him, even though at the time he didn't understand what was happening.



So what now? What difficulties are you experiencing? God cares. Give them to him, choose to react with love and trust him to bring good out of them.





— SCRIPTURE —

'But the Lord was with Joseph.' Genesis 39:21 NCV
— SOULFOOD —

Exo 20:16, Deut 19:15-20, Rev 21:8