It's easy to trust God when things are going well for us, when the road ahead seems pretty straightforward. But what about those times when the ground gives way & we find ourselves in a pit? There are times when the pit is brought about by our own disobedience. David discovered that when he had a man killed because he lusted after the man's wife. David had to walk through his own mire of regret.
But what about those times when suddenly we find ourselves in a pit not of our own making? A pit that someone else has dug for us? Do we do as Job's wife suggested? Do we just blame God for our misfortune & die? Will that solve our dilemma? Will that bring peace? I think not!
Both Job & Joseph knew all too well the suffering endured through no fault of their own. Job handled it by crying out to God, searching for answers. Joseph handled it by drawing all his strength from God. I have no doubt Joseph had moments of despair as he languished in that dark prison cell. Job's cry was outright & open, but we don't hear about the pain Joseph suffered emotionally. The Bible only tells us that he drew near to God. But we can safely assume that Joseph felt the sting of betrayal, felt the pain of loss.
I love the story of Joseph! What a wonderful role model he is for us all! Through all his years of trial, he sought God, he made use of every opportunity to share the greatness of God. Through his ordeal he brought success to others. Joseph's faithfulness to God, despite his circumstances, manifested in his behaviour to others. In turn he received blessings from God, even in his darkest moments. God showed favour to Joseph. To some it may not seem that way. If God loved Joseph so much, why did he allow Joseph to be thrown in a pit & sold as a slave? Why did he allow Joseph to be put in prison for a crime he didn't commit?
God did not cause Joseph's brothers to be jealous, or to have murderous thoughts. God did not cause Potiphar's wife to try & seduce Joseph. But God had a master plan, & if you look at the story unravelling, we are part of that master plan, part of the story of Joseph. God used those circumstances to increase the line of Abraham. Had Joseph not been in this particular place at this particular time, the family of Jacob & all his people would have perished in a famine that spread through the land.
But let's look at Joseph himself as he rose above the ranks & gained a position of power. Do you really think that Joseph considered this the ideal place for him? He was a stranger in a strange land. These people did not worship his God. They worshipped many gods. Joseph had no family, no one to share his deepest thoughts with. Joseph had lost all that was precious to him. He had no one but his God. Yet he remained faithful to God through it all, rather he clung to God all the more. He may not have understood the "why", but he trusted God enough to endure, nevertheless. He didn't try to escape, he didn't cause a stir. He stayed where he was, doing what he did because he knew this was where God placed him. He thanked God and continued to do what God set out for him to do.
God rewarded Joseph for his faithfulness, with untold riches, a position of power, a comfortable life. But his ultimate reward came through reconciliation & forgiveness of the very people who caused his life of hardship, his brothers. God used every trial that Joseph endured for the greater good. God did give back to Joseph the years the locusts had taken. He did the same for Job. Both men discovered the essence of who God is, both in their individual journeys. Both became better & stronger & wiser because of it. I'm sure that if we could talk to both these men right now, they would attest to the greatness & goodness of God. Because ultimately, through their very own pit of hardship, they discovered the Father heart of God.
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