Trusting God In Difficult Times

Trusting God In Difficult Times

But while Joseph was there in the prison, the LORD was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.

Genesis 39:20–21

The story of the suffering that Joseph experienced when he was sold into slavery can comfort us. He suffered horribly, but God appeared unable to hear or speak. It didn’t look like God knew what was happening. In spite of this, Joseph kept his faith. God encouraged Joseph and spoke to his heart: “Dear Joseph, wait. Be patient. Just believe and don’t despair. Hang on to the promise you heard from your father.” In this way, God talked to Joseph through the words of his father. But Joseph didn’t really see or hear anything. This made God appear to be blind or dead. Yet Joseph believed the promise God gave to Joseph’s ancestors. He thought, “God promised to be with Abraham’s descendants. I believe in the God of my ancestors.” Later God would speak in a wonderful way when he made Joseph a ruler and rescuer in Egypt.

We were given these examples so that we would learn to have patience in suffering. Then we will never complain about God, no matter how horrible the grief, fear, or pain may be. Surely Joseph also experienced deep pain and depression when he was unjustly torn from his father and sold to strangers. He realized he would be a slave forever with no hope of owning anything or ever regaining his freedom.

Because our Lord lets such awful things happen to his children, we must patiently bear the bad things that happen to us. They aren’t signs that God has abandoned us or is angry with us. Rather, they prove we have his favor. They show us that he’s testing our faith.