How Joseph Dealt With Difficult Times

Life will always present difficulties. Sometimes things do not seem to be going our way. One of the most difficult things in those times is how to respond. When difficult circumstances arise I am encouraged by the story of Joseph. He dealt with tremendous low points (low literally, in the case of a pit) in which he had no explanation as to why these things were happening.

One part of the Joseph story that I have been finding really encouraging is his response to his brothers when he reveals his identity in Egypt.

4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come close to me." When they had done so, he said, "I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! 5 And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. 6 For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will not be plowing and reaping. 7 But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. 8 "So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt. Genesis 45:4-8 (NIV)

Though Joseph did not know, when he was in the pit or when he was in prison, what God’s plan was, the end of the story revealed God’s purpose. When we are in the midst of difficult times where things don’t make sense we need to remember that God has the big picture. He knows the end of the story. All through the Joseph narrative the Bible tells us that God was with Joseph. The Bible doesn’t, however, include God speaking to Joseph. In fact it is often others (his master 39:3) who realize that God is with Joseph. Joseph doesn’t have a “burning bush” or a visit from an angel. The text does not even tell us if Joseph fully realized that the Lord was with him. We on the other hand know that God is always with us. He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). No matter what happens we have to remember that God is still God. We may not know the end of the story or his reasons until we see him in heaven (maybe not even then) but we know He is with us.

The other aspect of the Joseph story that I have found encouraging is how Joseph acted when things were beyond his control and were going badly. Genesis 39 has the story of Joseph being wrongly imprisoned. Within a few verses Joseph is put in charge over all the prisoners. Genesis 40 tells that two other prisoners were jailed as well.

4 The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he attended them. After they had been in custody for some time, 5 each of the two men--the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were being held in prison--had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own. 6 When Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw that they were dejected. 7 So he asked Pharaoh's officials who were in custody with him in his master's house, "Why are your faces so sad today?" 8 "We both had dreams," they answered, "but there is no one to interpret them." Then Joseph said to them, "Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams." Genesis 40:4-8 (NIV)

Joseph asks the prisoners why they look so sad. What a ridiculous question. They are in prison! Do they need a reason beyond that to look sad? It makes me wonder just how great an administrator Joseph must have been that when he ran the prison it was unusual for people to look sad! Setting that aside the thing that most impresses me is that Joseph is attentive to their need. He has every reason to look sad himself. He has been wrongly imprisoned. Joseph however, has his eyes focused on others. During any time of uncertainty I think that this is a good lesson for us. One of the ways that I am sure everyone knew that God was with Joseph is that God’s love showed through Joseph.

Christians are supposed to be known for their love.

By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:35 (NRSV)

When we find ourselves in difficult situations that are beyond our control we need to trust that God is in control and leave it with him and those who are making the decisions. In the meantime we need to not get distracted from what we know we are to do. We are to love the people we have been called to serve as if they were Christ himself. In difficult times we need to try to be like Joseph. Let us take our eyes off our problems and ourselves and look for who we can bless.

Mark Wallace