Yet I Will Praise You: The Life of Joseph
History bears witness to the many men and women who have gone before us in choosing to praise God in spite of the great suffering they endured. We can learn much from their testimonies of faithfulness and perseverance in the midst of grief and pain. In this series, we share about the trials others have endured, and of their commitment to praise God from the valley.
For a long time I have loved the story of Joseph. Perhaps it is because this story highlights a time our God worked behind the scenes, as He always is, working “all things together for good” (Romans 8:28). There are so many attributes of God to be thankful for, but I find myself frequently thanking Him for His goodness. His goodness is absolute in all situations. Sometimes it can be hard to see the good, but how can I not trust a God who is always working for my best? I think this is why I love the story of Joseph. Joseph walked through many dark years, yet he remained faithful and trusted God. In the end we see what God had been up to all along.
Joseph’s story begins in Genesis 37 and continues to the end of the book in chapter 50. Joseph was the first son of Rachel, the “loved” wife of Jacob. Though he had older brothers through his father’s other wives, his father favored him. For this, his brothers hated him and were jealous. When he was but 17 years old, they plotted to kill him, but his brother Reuben intervened and saved his life. Instead, the brothers sold him as a slave and told his father he had been killed by wild animals. Joseph was taken to Egypt and sold to the captain of the guard, Potiphar.
Joseph had been betrayed by his own brothers and was in a foreign country as slave, and yet he chose to trust in God and worked faithfully. The Lord was with him, and all that he did prospered, so Potiphar placed him in charge of the whole house.
Yet, his trouble was not over, for Potiphar’s wife desired Joseph. She pursued him repeatedly, but he refused to sin against God. When Joseph was left with no choice but to flee her, leaving his cloak behind, she accused him of attacking her, and Potiphar sent him to prison.
What thoughts would have gone through your head? Would you have wondered, “God, where are you? I did what You wanted, didn’t I? I have been faithful and have sought to keep myself from sinning against You, and because I did, here I am in prison?” We can imagine many things someone in his shoes might think, but there is no record of Joseph saying any such thing. He continued to walk in faithfulness, and again, the Lord was with him and prospered him.
More time passed, and Joseph, still in prison, was now in charge of all the prisoners. One day, Pharaoh was displeased with two of his officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, and put them in prison, where they were placed in Josephs care. One night, each of them had a dream. When Joseph learned this, he said, “Don’t interpretations belong to God?”
He then interpreted their dreams, telling the cupbearer that in three days he would be restored to his station, and the baker that in three days he would be hung. Joseph asked the cupbearer not to forget him when he was restored to his position, for he had been falsely imprisoned. All happened just as Joseph said, but when the cupbearer was restored to his position he forgot about Joseph.
Two more years passed with Joseph still in prison. One night, Pharaoh had a dream that no one could interpret. The cupbearer finally remembered Joseph and his correct interpretation of his own dreams. So, Joseph was brought from prison to appear before Pharaoh. When Pharaoh told Joseph that he had heard that he could interpret dreams, Joseph replied that it was not him who could interpret dreams, but only God. Even with all that he had been through, he showed his steadfast faith in God.
He interpreted Pharaohs dream, stating that there would be seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine, and gave advice on how to prepare for this time. Pharaoh placed Joseph in charge of all Egypt, only Pharaoh himself held more authority. It had been thirteen years. Thirteen years spent as a servant, slave, and prisoner, yet Joseph remained steadfast in his faith.
The famine got so severe that Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt looking for food. They did not recognize Joseph, but he recognized them and put them through a series of tests. When Joseph could no longer bear it, he revealed himself to his brothers and forgave them.
By God’s providence, He brought the entire family of Jacob to Egypt. After Jacob died, Joseph’s brothers feared he had not forgiven them fully and come to beg forgiveness and plead for mercy from him. Joseph reminded them that although they had intended him evil, God had used it all for good. I encourage you to read through this story for yourself and look for all the ways in which Joseph remained obedient and faithful in the midst of his suffering. Look for the ways God was at work in his life. Our God is faithful and good.
This world is full of hurt. But Jesus came to restored us to Himself and will one day wipe away our every tear. Dear one, the loss of your baby has been cause for great suffering indeed. But you do not suffer without hope. Because of Christ’s death and resurrection, we have hope of seeing our babies again. Let us be like Joseph and trust deeply in God, even when life doesn’t make sense.
I pray this little glimpse at Joseph’s response to adversity will encourage your heart to trust in the Lord even when your circumstances seem impossible to endure. The same God who worked every detail of Joseph’s life for his good is at work in your life, and no purpose of His shall ever be thwarted. You never know what great good God may be working through your sorrow.
This post was first published on the Hope Mommies blog on December 19, 2015.
- Becky
Hope Mom to Isaiah
Becky Kuehl is a joyful follower of Christ, wife to Sam, mommy to three children: Abigail, who is two, Isaiah, who was born into heaven on May 3rd 2015, and she is expecting their third in May 2016. She is a part time home health physical therapist who loves being able to share the love of Christ with people and spending time with her family. She loves being outdoors, camping and reading whenever there is time! You can get to know her more by reading her blog at https://sothatimayknowhim.wordpress.com/
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