Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. (Hebrews 13:5)
We have all had times in life when we thought, “Where is the Lord?” We must realize that God is real and that He has been with us, protecting us, guiding us, sustaining us, and caring for us each step of the way.
As we view the life of Joseph, we read in Genesis 39:2, “And the LORD was with Joseph.” Verse three says, “The LORD was with him.” Again, we read in verse twenty-one, “But the LORD was with Joseph.”
Why was Joseph in Egypt? God was in the process of building a great nation, the nation of Israel. God chose to do this work in Egypt. Though Joseph seemed to be out of place, God was working all along to accomplish His plan.
If you are one of God’s children, God is with you no matter where you may be. The Lord is with you, and He has brought you to this place to do a wonderful work in your life.
As we look at Joseph’s first years in Egypt, we see a pervading theme: The LORD was with Joseph…
In the Hour of Loneliness
In Genesis 37:13-28, we read the account of Joseph’s brothers selling him to the Ishmeelites. Imagine this seventeen-year-old boy leaving the safety of his father’s side and being sold into bondage. How lonely Joseph must have felt!
Joseph was carried away from his home and everything he had ever known. However, the Bible records that in Joseph’s hour of loneliness, the Lord was with him.
When we feel all alone, God becomes real to us, and we turn to Him. God brings us through times of loneliness and times when it seems as if no one really cares. Then, we realize how much He cares, and we know that He is with us each step of the way.
In the Hour of Uncertainty
Joseph lived through a time of not knowing exactly what was going to happen to him. In Genesis 39:1, we find that in God’s providence, Joseph was sold as a slave to Potiphar, the captain of the guard. God blessed the household of Potiphar for Joseph’s sake.
In the moments when we do not know what to do or where to turn, we must put our faith in Christ. When God has His hand on someone, others can see it. He is with us in the hour of uncertainty.
In the Hour of Temptation
We read in Genesis 39:7-15 about the temptation that Joseph received from Potiphar’s wife. The Devil wants to bring together our weakness with evil temptation—this is what he sought to do in Joseph’s life. Yet, the Lord was with Joseph in the hour of temptation, and He gave Joseph the strength to flee. Joseph may have lost his coat, but he kept his character.
You may be in the Devil’s web, and it may seem as if you are caught and cannot get out. However, if you know Jesus Christ as your Savior, God lives in you, and you have the power of the Holy Spirit available to overcome temptation. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 10:13, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” The Lord does not forsake us in our weak hours.
In the Hour of Great Disappointment
Joseph was faithful to God when other men would have yielded. What did he receive for his faithfulness? We find out in Genesis 39:16-20. Potiphar’s wife lied, and Joseph was cast into prison.
This was a time of great disappointment for Joseph, but the Bible says in Genesis 39:21-23 that the Lord was with him. Remember, there is no disappointment in Jesus Christ. We will all be disappointed with others and with ourselves, but the presence of God will sustain us in the hour of disappointment.
Whether it be the hour of loneliness, uncertainty, temptation, or disappointment, the Lord is with us to sustain us. It did not take long for Joseph to find that the Lord was with him in jail. God was with Joseph in prison just as He was with him at Hebron. God was with Joseph as he traveled to Egypt, and God was with him in Potiphar’s house. When Joseph got to prison, God was already there waiting for him. The Lord was with Joseph, and the Lord will be with us come what may.