The other day I was rereading the story of Joseph and one phrase kept jumping out at me. “And the Lord was with Joseph,” thus reads Genesis 39:23. We know the story of Joseph well. Lied about by his brothers, beaten up, thrown in a well, sold into slavery, thrown into prison on a false testimony, betrayed by those he befriended, he was left behind bars to be forgotten. Seems he had one trial after another, one bad event upon another bad event. But after each contrary circumstance the Word reads, “And the Lord was with Joseph.”

Do we not often feel like Joseph? Circumstances and situations come into our lives, some of our on making, but often events transpire that are not of our making and that have no logical explanation. As a matter of fact, like Joseph, we are trying to live for the Lord yet the winds of adversity seem to continue to buffet us.

What did Joseph do? He trusted the Lord anyway. He kept on keeping on. He never gave up. Discouraged at times? He no doubt was. Did he have questions to which there were no answers? Of course he did. But he trusted anyway.

Trusting the Lord when all looked bleak…well, as Paul Harvey always said, “Now the rest of the story.” Joseph trusted when it would have been easier to have given up. The result of his faith was, “Whatever he did, the Lord made him to prosper” (Genesis 39:23). His faithfulness was eventually rewarded by blessings. He went from the pit, to prison, to the palace. It looked as if life was against him, but in the end the Lord turned it all around for Joseph’s good (Genesis 50:20).

The same is true with us. Do events seem contrary to you? Keep trusting. Faithfulness will eventually be rewarded by blessings. No matter what we go through, like Joseph, the Lord is with us, He will not forsake us. He can take what seems like a curse and transform it into a blessing (Nehemiah 13:2). He has promised to work all things, both good and bad, for the good to those who love and trust Him (Romans 8:28). What a wonderful promise to hold on to when the ship of life is being tossed about by waves of uncertainty. As R.A. Torrey once said, “Romans 8:28 is a soft pillow for a weary head.”

As the song says, “Be not dismayed whatever be‘tide, God will take care of you.” He is with us, and as we continue to trust even when the waves of life seek to knock us down, like Joseph, the Lord will cause us to prosper “with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3).

Let us keep our face toward the Son and His light will guide us through the darkness by His Sonshine.

Blessings,

Dr. Dan