“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. And the pit was empty; there was not water in it” (Genesis 37:23–24).
Have you ever felt like Joseph must have felt on this occasion? Have you felt forsaken by those who loved you or had some thing precious to you taken away (like his freedom and his coat)? Their original thought was to kill him, but eventually, they chose to sell him to Ishmaelite traders. They thought they were through with Joseph, but God intervened.
Trials in life make us bitter or better. Problems can either be opportunities to strive to do the right thing, or they can be obstacles that cause us to shrink back and not do what we can to fix the problem.
A friend once called me with a personal problem. His words were, “I am about at the end of my rope; I do not know where to turn.” He was down in the pits, but in stead of withdrawing and giving up, he asked for help. He surrounded himself with resources (his friends) who could give him counsel and insight into how he could get out of the pit. Today he is much better because he allowed the bumps in his road to lift him up to a higher plane of living.
Joseph no longer had his family, but he had the greatest friend a man ever had— his God (Romans 8:31). His days of despair were not over. Once more, he was in a pit—this time a prison—because he maintained his integrity and his ac countability to God. “How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9). Even in prison, God was watching over him and blessed him (Genesis 39:21–23). In the end, God made Joseph the second in command of the pagan nation of Egypt. Joseph was reunited with his people, and ultimately (providentially), his family became the nation of Israel that inherited the promised land.
God has promised us that He will not forsake us (Hebrews 13:5–6). Even when we must travel through the valley of death, He has promised to stay with us (Psalm 23:4). May we look for the help He makes available to us, and may we strive to use the problems of life as stepping stones to greater service and as opportunities to grow and to become better, stronger children of God.
