Prospering in Suffering: Lessons From Joseph's LifeSample

How to Prosper While Suffering: Remember God is With You

Genesis 39 mentions, "The Lord was with Joseph" four times. This means that God was always with Joseph, protecting him, controlling and guiding events in his life, favoring him, and helping him even though he was a slave and a prisoner.

The Bible describes four ways God was with Joseph:

1. The Lord made everything he did successful (Genesis 39:3, 23).
2. The Lord caused those in authority to view Joseph favorably (Genesis 39:4, 21).
3. The Lord blessed Potiphar’s house for Joseph’s sake (Genesis 39:5).
4. The Lord showed him steadfast love (Genesis 39:21).

God's presence with Joseph limited his suffering and prepared him for future glory in the following ways:

1. God controlled who bought Joseph as a slave. Potiphar bought Joseph through God’s orchestration. God chose someone with the discernment to recognize Joseph’s gifts, abilities, favor, and blessing. Potiphar entrusted the management of his household to a young slave in his twenties. Joseph developed project management, leadership, and financial skills through this experience, which proved useful when Pharaoh put him in charge of Egypt.
2. God protected Joseph’s life when it was in danger. Potiphar should have executed Joseph immediately when falsely accused of rape by Potiphar's wife. Yet, God's intervention prevented Potiphar from killing Joseph, and he was sent to prison instead. Maybe God reminded Potiphar of Joseph's contributions to his household. Maybe Potiphar doubted his wife’s accusations. The Bible doesn't give a reason for Potiphar's leniency, but it does repeatedly mention God's presence with Joseph. And God, being with Joseph, kept Joseph alive long enough to become Egypt’s second-in-command.
3. God controlled the type of prison Joseph went to. Because of Potiphar's position as Pharaoh's army captain, Joseph was sent to a prison for political prisoners. The warden entrusted the care of other prisoners to Joseph, allowing him to move around the prison. Joseph's role in the prison led him to meet Pharaoh's butler, who would later recommend him to Pharaoh.

If you are in a season of suffering right now, know that GOD IS WITH YOU! Bad circumstances don't mean God has abandoned you. To prosper while suffering, look for God at work and lean into Him. Thank Him for limiting your suffering, even if you can’t see it yet. As long as you're alive, there's still hope. God will teach you new physical and spiritual skills you can use during and after this suffering. Even during your darkest hours, God will control the places you end up and the people you meet, so you can still experience His love and favor.

Encourage yourself with the following Bible verses during your trials. Write them out and put them where you will see them every day to remember that God is with you:

• Psalm 37:23-24: “The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.”
• Isaiah 41:10: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”