PRAYER instead of what we don’t have
To make ends meet, put the Lord between them.
Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
Unemployment. Underemployment.
Foreclosure. Bankruptcy.
When we hear these words, one thing likely comes to mind: money struggles. It’s true that we live in very difficult economic times. These dreaded words, instead of being headline-worthy, have become so common that we just shake our heads when we hear of another person who is facing one or more of these predicaments.
The subject of God’s provision usually leads us to think in terms of financial resources. But His provision entails far more than economic needs. It can also cover concerns such as barrenness, singleness, persecution and mistreatment. Incidentally, it is helpful to remember that God’s provision is in fact centered on our “needs” more often than our “wants.” Now, that doesn’t mean that God never gives us “extras.” Of course He does; He is a generous God. But He is primarily concerned with our deep needs; so oftentimes, the lessons and the character building that the Lord aims to produce through His provision for us extend far past our economic woes.
My dear reader, are you overwhelmed by economic stress? Or perhaps you are overwhelmed because of some other perceived need in your life. In this chapter, we will examine the story of Joseph, one of the sons of Jacob, from the book of Genesis. Joseph went through some of the most severe trials that anyone could ever experience, but he ended up as second-in-command of the kingdom of Egypt.
The reason I want to focus on the biblical story of Joseph is that no matter what hardships this godly man experienced, he always chose to see God’s provision in the trial—trusting that God’s hand was on him through each step of the journey. Joseph believed in the providence and sovereignty of God, and he was convinced that the Lord was weaving the purposes of His will into the story of his life. He did not question what God did (or didn’t do). He was not bitter and did not hold any resentment. No matter where he found himself, Joseph served wholeheartedly. His hardships did not jeopardize his identity in the Lord. Wherever Joseph found himself, the hand of God was upon him. Therefore, many others were blessed by his leadership and wisdom. Even so, God taught Joseph quite a few lessons, and some of them were pretty rough. Let’s look at these lessons together.
What? Joseph, a slave? Genesis 39:1 explains, “Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. And Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there.”
Some background is necessary to understand the reason Joseph was taken down to Egypt. To a certain extent, we need to blame Jacob, Joseph’s father, for the tragic events that took place in the lives of Joseph and his brothers. Jacob fostered an environment of jealousy and sibling rivalry among his sons by esteeming Joseph and Benjamin above his other boys. It’s a sad situation when parents show favoritism toward certain children over the others. There’s no doubt that it creates an atmosphere of resentment and anger among siblings, and understandably so. Over the years, the resentment built among Joseph’s brothers, and the final blow came when Jacob gave Joseph a beautiful coat of many colors. When the brothers saw how their father elevated Joseph over them, they were furious and decided upon revenge. They threw Joseph into a pit with the intent of killing him. But Reuben, the firstborn of all the sons, encouraged his brothers not to kill Joseph because he didn’t want his blood on their hands. So instead, when they noticed a caravan of traders coming their way, they quickly decided to sell Joseph for 20 shekels of silver (see Gen. 37:3-28).
So here we have a teenage boy—who is timid, who grew up inside his father’s house, who was loved by his mother and estranged from his brothers—suddenly shackled and taken to Egypt to be sold as a slave. Upon arrival, Joseph was bought for the house of Potiphar, an Egyptian high official. What if we were to put ourselves in Joseph’s shoes? This young man, who had been treated tenderly by his mother and favored by his father, was now in a foreign home in a foreign land, with nothing to his name. He had lost everything and had been unfairly treated and betrayed by the very people who should have loved and protected him—his own siblings. For multiple reasons, Joseph was in a painful and disheartening situation.
How did he react? Was he bitter and angry? Did he whine and complain? No, Joseph was a young man who loved the Lord and believed that God was with him no matter his circumstances. He didn’t quit or give up. Instead, he chose to make the best of his situation and serve where, seemingly, God had placed him.
If we were all like Joseph—believing that nothing could touch us without going through God’s hands first, and that no matter how bad things got, God had sovereignly allowed them to happen—then we would be forgiving, godly people who were able to persevere through our difficult circumstances. That is exactly what God wants. He doesn’t want us to be overwhelmed by the hard situations in our lives, but to see His hand of provision on us in the midst of them. He wants us to be forgiving and not bitter, serving and not quitting. He wants us to make the best of whatever particular situation He has placed us in at this time. And He wants us to be people who build up and encourage instead of murmuring and complaining.
I love the verse that follows the announcement of Joseph’s being sold to Potiphar: “The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian” (Gen. 39:2). The Lord was with Joseph. What a simple yet incredible statement! No matter how dire Joseph’s circumstances appeared, the Lord God was with him every step of the way. This verse speaks directly to us in our time as well. The Lord is with us.
Are you having problems at work? The Lord is with you at work. Are you having problems at home? The Lord is with you at home. Anywhere you go, the Lord is there, right beside you.
Whatever difficult and trying situations we face, the Lord is with us—and when the Lord is with us, we can rest assured that He is in control. He knows exactly what each of His children is going through, and He knows exactly what we need in terms of His provision from deep storehouses of grace and strength. Instead of being overwhelmed and afraid, we must trust the One who loves us and holds us in the palm of His hand. That’s what Joseph did, and his rest and trust in God’s sovereignty and omnipresence were reflected in his attitude and in the way that he prospered in the midst of his suffering.
It would be normal to wonder why I’m affirming that Joseph prospered when he was a slave. After all, in a very short period of time, he went from living in his father’s tent to serving as a slave to a man he didn’t know in a country that had a bad reputation among his people. How can this be seen as “prospering”? We have to look at the bigger picture: God had a plan for Joseph’s life, and that plan involved much more than just Joseph’s immediate situation. Along the way, as He worked according to His larger purposes, the Lord walked with Joseph and guided his steps through the provision of grace and strength. Because Joseph understood this principle, God was able not only to teach and transform him individually, but also to use him in a mighty way for the good of multitudes of people.
Let’s continue to read about Joseph’s journey: “The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand” (Gen. 39:2-3).
So when Joseph’s master, Potiphar, observed Joseph at work, he didn’t see a young man standing in the corner doing nothing. He saw a boy pushing a broom, raking, wiping windows and otherwise keeping busy doing his job—because this was where God had put him. In a miraculous way, Joseph was able to understand that every place and every situation in which he found himself was exactly where God wanted him to be—and he was determined to make the best of it. He was not going to blame God, his parents, or even his brothers. Instead, his attitude was: “God, this is where You brought me, so help me to be the very best I can be.”
What this young man couldn’t even begin to fathom was that from the very beginning of time, God had ordained that he would save a nation from starvation. But before this plan of God would come to fruition, Joseph had to grow up and be molded into a mighty man of God. To accomplish this molding, God was going to lead Joseph on a very difficult road from the pit to the palace.
Joseph was going to have to pass some tests the Lord would bring his way—the test of being rejected by his family, the test of temptation to commit adultery, the test of being wrongly accused of a crime and thrown into prison and, finally, the test of forgiveness. In all of these situations, Joseph would rise above the difficult, unfair circumstances and tests he faced. How could he do that? The Lord brought His provision to Joseph in the form of His presence, and that’s all he needed to succeed.
Scripture records that Joseph was a faithful, steadfast servant to Potiphar: “So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority” (Gen. 39:4).
Notice, it didn’t matter that Joseph was in a foreign country (one that was not of a good reputation), working for a foreign dictator. What mattered was that Joseph was committed to doing the best job he could because he wanted to be faithful to God. In the same way, as believers, we should serve God with everything we have, right where He has placed us, without question. It doesn’t matter if we’re serving someone who is a believer or an unbeliever. What does matter is that we are reflecting the character and love of Jesus Christ. We are His representatives, so people will watch to see how we behave. Potiphar was impressed with Joseph and grasped who the Hebrew God was by the behavior of his slave.
When we understand the truth that God sovereignly orchestrates our lives, we will serve Him wholeheartedly, no matter where we are or what we are experiencing, without question. A terrible situation at home means we need to serve. Struggles with the kids indicate that service is necessary. Challenging circumstances and difficult problems should not alter who we are as believers in Christ. They should not make us so depressed that we cannot be the men and women God has called us to be.
Yes, your husband might be acting unkindly and not treating you right. Yes, your wife might be going through a time of depression and self-centeredness in her life. Yes, your boss may be horribly demanding and critical. Yes, the checkbook may be empty. And yes, your kids may be driving you to frustration, but no matter what your circumstances may be, you are still called to serve those whom God has placed in your life.
In actuality, it’s not about serving your spouse, boss, friends, family or children anyway. It’s about serving God and being faithful to Him, as the apostle Paul makes clear: “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ” (Col. 3:23-24). Because we are serving the Lord, not men, we can love, forgive and prosper right where we are, no matter how hard the trial might be.
Joseph’s story continues:
So it was, from the time that he had made him overseer of his house and all that he had, that the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had in the house and in the field. Thus he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand, and he did not know what he had except for the bread which he ate (Gen. 39:5-6).
As Joseph served faithfully, God poured out blessing, not only on Joseph himself, but also on Potiphar and everyone in his household and everything in his field. God increased Potiphar’s livestock, crops, fruit trees and fields. Ultimately, Potiphar didn’t even know how much he had anymore, concerning himself only with the food he ate, because he made Joseph the manager and overseer of everything in his household.
Here’s a teenager who had lost his home, his family, and everything he possessed. Now, as a slave, this young man made his master a very wealthy man because his eyes were on God. He served, had a right attitude, and gave God his very best. As a result, not only did he prosper, but his boss also prospered.
If only this same attitude were engraved into the pathways of our lives! Can we believe with certainty that the Lord is with us right now at work? Is He with us in that relationship we’re struggling with or in the midst of a tragedy or crisis? The answer is absolutely yes. God will never leave us or forsake us. In other words, He is watching over us and giving us His provision, and He has a calling on each of our lives.
In fact, He has predestined us (see Rom. 8:29). There’s a reason why each of us was born. There’s a reason why we’re alive in this age, at this moment, and in this situation. God wants to use us in that hard place we find ourselves in right now. When we trust in God, He can save our family, our city or our business. In other words, God can do extraordinary things through us. But that will require that we stop resisting Him and trying to avoid the struggles. Instead of being overwhelmed—instead of being discouraged and wanting to quit—let’s serve God wholeheartedly and trust Him both for His provision of grace and to work out His good in our lives.
Joseph had to be prepared for becoming the ruler of a world power. He was a timid boy in many ways, but he was also proud. So the Lord had to mold and shape Joseph’s character in order to make him a humble leader. How does God do something like that? In Joseph’s life, He worked through a myriad of trials and experiences. Joseph was thrown into a pit. He was sold as a slave and then, sometime later, thrown into jail (even though he was innocent of the charges). Everywhere Joseph was placed, he served faithfully and developed the skills to become an expert administrator.
Too often, we don’t see opportunities in our problems. We just see the problems, and we complain, “Why are You doing this to me, God? Why am I in this prison? Why am I in this pit? What’s the purpose of this? I don’t see what this is proving.” God wants us to say instead, “I see You, God, and I want to give You thanks for the work You are doing in me. I am going to continue to serve right where You have put me.” Remember Paul and Silas in the book of Acts? These faithful men were beaten and put in prison, but while there they didn’t complain or get angry at God. Rather, they prayed and worshiped God, and then the Lord shook the prison doors open (see Acts 16:25-26). Notice that it’s God who opens that prison door. He’s the One who brings us out of the pit and prepares us to serve.
When he was in prison, Joseph didn’t complain or assert that his situation wasn’t fair. When he was a servant in Potiphar’s house, he didn’t ask when his slavery was going to be over. Rather, wherever he was placed, he served wholeheartedly and with complete dedication. Joseph trusted God throughout all of his trials, believing that the Lord had a plan for his life and would make provision in it. In the same way, God also has a calling upon our lives—a supernaturally designed plan for each of us. That difficult place we currently find ourselves in may just be the training ground that God is using to make us a better parent, a better spouse, a better worker, a better steward and a better Christian. Our attitude should humbly be: “God, let me blossom where You have put me.”
It’s an absolute given that there will be bad times to suffer through. It’s also likely—normal, even—that our human emotions will cause us to be overwhelmed by our problems. However, sometimes just when we think we have it as bad as we possibly could, the Lord opens our eyes to someone else’s pain and suffering.
This happened to me when I was in the hospital getting some blood work done. A man who had just gone through a round of chemotherapy sat next to me. All morning, I had been whining and complaining about my troubles; then the Lord pierced my heart: “Stephen, look at this man and what he is experiencing right now.” I took my eyes off of myself and my problems, and I began to pray with and minister to this man, as the Lord filled me with great compassion for him.
We may be legitimately overwhelmed by our problems, but there are others around us who are suffering, even dying, who could use our compassion, our touch and our concern. Recently, my wife and I had the privilege of having dinner and fellowship with the wife of Pastor Saeed, who is jailed in Iran for his sharing of the gospel with fellow Iranians. As we sat and listened to his wife, Naghmeh, share about her trust in the Lord, we were struck deeply by this woman’s rock-solid faith. She was determined to follow God’s will, even if that meant her husband would never be freed.
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen this kind of commitment to Christ; Naghmeh’s faith humbled me and convicted my heart. In my spirit, I was weeping and asking God to change me and help me to accept the trials in my life with greater faith and joy. When we see our problems in light of someone else’s, it’s amazing how diminished they become in our eyes as our perspective shifts. There are families all around us who are lost, but we are too busy to minister to them. Marriages need attention, but our hearts and minds are immersed elsewhere. Our kids are having a hard time, but we are too overwhelmed by our work to talk and pray with them.
It’s often at these times that the Lord somehow gets our attention; when He does, our response should be, “God, what do You want?”
As we seek His will, He gently leads and corrects, with words that might sound like this: “My child, I want you to see Me in the good and in the bad. I want you to understand that nothing is going to come into your life or your heart unless I allow it. And if it does come to you, then it is what you need; it’s My provision for you for your growth.”
When God allowed the shackles to be put on Joseph in that prison, it was for good reason. I’m not talking about the obvious function of restraining Joseph’s legs, although that’s the superficial purpose a human eye would discern. I’m referring to the greater, supernatural purpose God had; He wanted the iron to go through the shackles into Joseph’s heart, soul and spirit. God used those shackles and that prison cell to make Joseph into a man who would stand before a nation and lead with strength and compassion—and without fear.
Let’s face it, sometimes Christians are weak and need to be taught fortitude and endurance. The smallest problem comes into our lives and we fall apart. Over the past 2,000 years, men and women of faith have endured great trials and persecution in bringing the gospel to people throughout the world. Some have been tortured; some have been separated from their families; and many have died cruel, unfair deaths because of their faith in Jesus Christ. In contrast, some Christians I know today get upset if someone looks at them the wrong way. We might get worked up if somebody doesn’t say hi to us or if we feel ignored. Yes, we have some undeniable problems; I’m not belittling that fact. But in general, we Christians are much weaker than our forebears who experienced severe and desperate trials.
That being the case, we don’t have a good handle on how to overcome the obstacles we face. This is a learned skill, but it begins with recognizing and believing that God is going to sustain us through our trials and make us more spiritual people with strength of character. It’s a process of learning how to serve where we are planted and trust God with our future. Jesus reminded us that in this world we will have troubles (see John 16:33). Cars are going to break. Marriages are going to go through rough times. Children are going to try us and wear us out with their demands and immaturity. God has not rejected us; neither does He want us to quit, to lose our joy, or to become depressed. Just as Joseph did, we need to trust God—that He is in both the good and the bad—and serve in the midst of our trials.
When he experienced severe trials, Joseph was an innocent man. Through this, we see that sometimes horrible things happen to godly people. A car accident paralyzes our Christian friend. A child dies from a brain tumor. A Christian man loses his job, and his family goes bankrupt. A bomb goes off at a marathon in Boston and kills and maims innocent people. There is no understanding these tragedies.
Furthermore, when terrible things happen in our own lives, it just doesn’t seem right or fair, does it? Even so, God is sovereignly in control. He allows trials for one purpose: to move us from the point where we are currently to the point where He wants us to be. He is growing us into people who are tender and compassionate, but have spirits of iron and steel—people whose faith is rock solid. When we’ve closed down the business, when we’ve struggled with an unwanted divorce or when we’ve gone through children running away or leaving the faith—when we’ve experienced trials of any magnitude—with some distance and reflection, we soon realize that God has redeemed our experience, and that we are stronger than we have ever been in our walk with the Lord. No one can take that away.
From a human perspective, Joseph was a victim of unfair treatment at the hands of others. His brothers threw him into a pit and then sold him as a slave; Potiphar’s wife falsely accused Joseph of rape, which landed him in prison (see Gen. 39:7-20). In addition, when Joseph befriended and helped two fellow prisoners, the one who was released forgot all about him, even though he had promised to remember Joseph and show kindness to him (see Gen. 40).
There is no question that there are victims in our society today. Just turning on the news for an hour reminds us of that sordid fact. Humanly speaking, we have all been victims of someone else’s mistreatment or unfairness at some point in this journey of life. But we can only use that excuse for so long. Continuing to live with a victim mentality will destroy us and those around us. It is essential that we experience a shift in which we begin looking at trials and tragedies from God’s perspective and not that of a victim.
This is a sensitive and personal subject for me, because I was a victim of molestation when I was a young teenager. I was taken advantage of by someone I trusted—a teacher at school. It was the darkest time of my life. Quite a while later, however, I realized that although God certainly didn’t cause this painful event, He had allowed it to happen. That sounds horrible to many, but when we accept that God is in control and that He uses everything in our lives, good and bad, it actually is a comfort to know that even this devastating incident was not beyond God’s reach.
He has indeed used it for good—helping me to minister to those who have experienced the same pain. I don’t view that period in my life as defining me. Rather, I have joy in my heart because I see God’s hand upon me—and this is the attitude that is needed in order to achieve victory. We have to rise above our tragedy and live with victory in our hearts, which is something that God gladly gives provision for when we ask.
Let’s end our study of Joseph with the reminder that God is always with us and always at work in us. From a human perspective, it’s logical to feel alone. However, it’s a walk of faith to believe what is contrary to our feelings. Let’s go back to Joseph in the pit:
But Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands, and said, “Let us not kill him.” And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit which is in the wilderness, and do not lay a hand on him”—that he might deliver him out of their hands, and bring him back to his father.
So it came to pass, when Joseph had come to his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the tunic of many colors that was on him. Then they took him and cast him into a pit (Gen. 37:21-24).
Reading this account of Joseph’s brothers’ betrayal, we can’t help but feel compassion for Joseph. After all, he had no idea what his brothers were going to do to him. All of a sudden, he was thrown into a horrible, empty pit—rejected by his own family.
Perhaps you can relate to Joseph. The problem you are facing right now—the one that has you overwhelmed—has it left you feeling barren and empty? Maybe you are thinking, I don’t feel God’s presence. I don’t know what’s going on in my life, and I feel rejected by everyone I know. Truly, God must hate me. But think again. Although those are common human emotional responses to suffering, could it be that God has put you in this place so that you would look to the Lord alone for your sustenance and provision? Maybe the Lord wishes to show you that He’s bigger than your family; bigger than your rejecting friends; and bigger than the pit, the barrenness and the loneliness that surround you.
When we look at the Bible, it is interesting to note that many women who were barren for a season ended up bringing forth children who served God. Men like Samson, Isaac, Jacob, Samuel and John the Baptist came forth from previously barren women. God made provision for these women; through the work of the Holy Spirit, He turned their barrenness into fruit. Similarly, God can take us out of the pit and bring forth fruit in our lives. Through His abundant life and provision, He removes barrenness and produces His fullness and joy.
Is it worth going through all these trials and tribulations? Yes it is, even though it may not feel that way when we are in the midst of our problems. When God begins to work in our lives, we are changed, and that results in blessing. Like a potter who shapes a bowl, God applies His perfect and omniscient hand of provision. He spins the wheel faster and faster; we ask, “What are You doing, God?” We start to get dizzy and begin to worry. God stirs the water and begins to shape us.
When His fingers produce the difficult circumstances that will mold our character, we often protest because the process causes us pain. His finger may take away the boyfriend or girlfriend who is causing us to sin. Another finger may eliminate our job. Yet another finger may take away our health. A typical reaction to this pain and suffering is to scream and complain and get angry at the Potter. The Potter responds, “There’s no reason to be angry with Me. The clay doesn’t tell the Potter what to do. I know what I am doing. I’m molding you into the person I want you to be. I am at the wheel, and I am controlling the speed. Trust Me.”
As God’s creative work in our lives continues, the oven and its 750-degree heat produce more sweating and struggling. Perhaps we say to God, “What is this all about?” But God is with us in that oven. He walks hand in hand with us as the heat blasts. As the trials and tribulations do their work of molding us into the people He wants us to be, He never leaves our side. Do you recall the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego in the fiery furnace? These three faithful young men were not alone in the heat. The Lord was right there with them, protecting them each step of the way (see Dan. 3:19-25).
When the pottery comes out of the oven, it looks majestic. It’s glossy and beautiful. The imperfections have been worked out, and the piece has been made whole. God knows what He’s doing. He will never leave us nor forsake us. In every moment of our lives, even in every crisis and trial, as “the Lord was with Joseph” (Gen. 39:2), we too can say with confidence, “The Lord is with me.”
Faith is believing that no matter what our circumstances are, God will do a work deep in our hearts. Our job is to continue serving, loving, trusting His provision and being cheerful before God. No matter how tough it gets, He wants us to know that He has allowed this trial and this suffering to happen for a purpose. If we are in the pit, then God is going to use it to get us to Egypt. If we are in Potiphar’s house as a slave, then God wants us to serve well so He can raise us up. If we are thrown in prison, even unjustly, then God is going to use us there as well.
Our attitude and outlook are of great importance. We cannot gripe, complain, murmur or quit. If there’s ever a time that we must draw deep on faith—“the evidence of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1)—and believe that God is totally sovereign and always at work, it’s right now. We must trust and be overwhelmed by God’s provision of the trial with the underlying purpose of bringing about amazing growth in our maturity and faith. God is doing a major work of His supernatural and miraculous provision through this trial, and ultimately, we are going to shine. We will bring hope to those around us, and others will be blessed through our faithfulness to God.
STUDY QUESTIONS
1. When we are facing difficult situations, what does God want us to know?
2. Why does God bless others through our faithfulness?
3. Why does God allow the good and the bad things to happen in our lives?
4. Why must we stop living our lives with a victim mentality?
PRAYER
Thank You, Lord, that Your hand is always upon my life and that You never leave me alone. Thank You that I am the apple of Your eye and that Your plans for me are always good. Help me to remember these things when I am in the dark places along the road of life and when I cannot seem to see the dawn. Overwhelm me with Your provision, I pray. Remind me that You are good, and never let me forget Your promises. I know Your Holy Spirit will lead and guide me; help me to stand firm and remember in faith that wherever I am is right where You have allowed me to be. Thank You that I am never out of Your reach. Amen.