READING: Genesis 39-41
God came to be with us (Matt 1:22-23), and He promised to be with us to the end of the age (Matt 28:20). That’s great news for us, especially as we seek to follow Him in an increasingly dark world. Joseph’s story, in fact, teaches us the significance of God’s ongoing, never-ending presence in our lives:
- “The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, serving in the household of his Egyptian master” (Gen 39:2). Though his brothers had wrongly sold Joseph into slavery, God was with him the entire time and placed him in a position of authority and influence.
God’s presence with him was still no guarantee of a trouble-free life, however. He had already suffered at the hands of his brothers. Then, Potiphar’s wife falsely accused him of rape, and Joseph found himself imprisoned. We don’t know how long he was imprisoned (though Gen 41:1 indicates at least two years), but we do know this important information:
- “. . . the Lord was with Joseph and extended kindness to him. He granted him favor with the prison warden” (Gen 39:21).
You see, the God who is with us is the God who is with us in good and bad times. We cannot find ourselves in a place where He is not with us. I say it again: that’s great news.
PERSONAL REFLECTION: Do you need to hear again today that God is with you?
DAILY PRAYER: “Thank You, Father, that You hold onto us.”
MONDAY’S READING: Genesis 42-45