Monday, January 19, 2009

The Same Lesson -- Take Two

It's been a few days since I posted -- I've been out of town for ministry, and when that happens I don't always have internet access. This will be my greatest challenge when I travel throughout the next few weeks. I wish there was an easy answer to this one. Any suggestions out there?

This morning I read Genesis 39 and was blessed to bits by a phrase that popped up over and over. It's a simple phrase, one that was true about Jacob in the last post. Check it out:

v. 2 -- "The Lord was with Joseph..." (after being sold as a slave to Potiphar)
v. 3 -- "The Lord was with Joseph..."
v. 21 -- "But the Lord was with Joseph there, too..." (in prison after being falsely accused of raping his boss' wife)
v. 23 -- "The Lord was with him..."

Joseph's own siblings sold him into slavery. That must have been a little hard for the teenager to process. And being unjustly thrown into prison would have been another blow to the boy. And yet there's no doubt that God was sovereign in Joseph's life, ruling over the circumstances because He ultimately had a purpose far beyond human understanding.

I LOVE this story! Even when life is difficult, God is with us -- what a tremendous truth to remember and apply to our lives!

When the economy waffles and wavers, God is with us. When our kids get sick, God is with us. When our marriage goes through tough times, God is with us. When a phone call comes and brings bad news, God is with us. When God calls us to get involved in a ministry opportunity beyond our comfort zone, He is with us. What more do we need than God's promised presence? In that reality, we find comfort and hope and courage.

1 comment:

Gebert Family Blog said...

I think if I were Joseph, I would have struggled to FEEL like God was always there in the midst of some of the things that happened in his life. How comforting to KNOW He was .. and He is in my life too no matter how I might be FEELING at the moment. :)