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Today, the Scripture is taken from: Genesis 39:19-23.
Theme verse:
“But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.” Genesis 39: 21 (ESV)
God was with Joseph in prison: “But while Joseph was there in the prison, the LORD was with him” (Genesis 39:20–21).
It’s an interesting juxtaposition: God’s presence and the prison. It’s easy to react cynically. If God cared enough about Joseph to be with him in prison, why did he allow Joseph to end up in prison to begin with? At first glance, it feels like getting an ironing board for Christmas when you wanted a new iPhone.
Sometimes, God’s ways are frustrating.
You may not be where you want to be, but God is with you regardless. Jesus told the disciples, “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). And then all of them, except for John, ended up being martyred for the gospel.
Does that mean Jesus wasn’t with them? No, but it does mean that God’s presence with us doesn’t guarantee a cushy life.
In Genesis 39, we read that God showed Joseph kindness in prison. Even in our darkest moments, there are ways that God is showing kindness to us. After the destruction of Jerusalem, the prophet Jeremiah said, “Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22–23).
The prophet Habakkuk said:
Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights. Habakkuk 3:17–19
It’s one thing to say we know God is good even if we don’t meet our revenue goals. It’s quite another to have that actually happen and still say, “God, I know that you are good.” There is something about experiencing God’s presence in our lows that builds tenacious faith.
It is reverberated in Romans 5: 3 till 5, “suffering produces endurance and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.” Through this, we know that the Lord uses the circumstances at our workplace to refine our character so that we can grow in faith and become more like Him. The ways of the Lord are sometimes beyond our understanding but we can trust Him to work out His plan for our good.
Most of us have never gone through anything as bad as what Joseph faced. But just as God was with Joseph in prison, he is with you in whatever you are facing right now. That goes for both the difficulties in your workplace and in the rest of your life. May he open your eyes to his kindness to you even in your dark moments.
From this story, we learnt that God was with Joseph. We have to practise the presence of God in our lives and reflect the Christian character at our workplace even in bleak situations. It begins with guarding our time with the Lord. We have to start the morning with our quiet time.
Place the Lord as the top priority in your life at the workplace. You have to persevere in prayer till the dark clouds disperse if you are placed in such circumstances. Hold on to your faith unwaveringly and commit your future path to our omnipotent Lord. He is faithful and will carry you through.
Let’s Pray:
Lord, your ways are sometimes incomprehensible but I believe in Your sovereignty over my life. Teach me to practice the presence of God in my life even when I go through trials. When you have tested me, I will come forth as gold. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Time for Reflections.