…But the Lord…

…because the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper. (Genesis 39:23)

At the end of Genesis 39, we read that The Lord was with Joseph. If you go back and read that chapter and see it in context, it kinda feels like the Bible is lying to us. Even though Genesis 39 says that The Lord of the universe was with Joseph, the situations he found himself in sure make it seem like God had checked out of his life. Joseph was in the middle of what we would consider hell on earth… His life was in a tough, hard, and depressed place.

Joseph was doing the right thing. It wasn’t like Joseph was living in a way that God couldn’t bless him. In fact, Joseph continued to obey God and help the people around him regardless of where he found himself. Still Joseph was sold by his brothers, thrown in jail, and forgotten about by the very people he served while he was in jail.

…”But The Lord was with Joseph”…

We know the end of the story. We know that, in the end, God was very faithful to Joseph and lifted him up to a place of honor and dignity.

Joseph didn’t see the end while he was in the middle. He didn’t know how it would all end. He just knew that God was with him.

You see, I’ve come to realize that my human eyes can often be tricked. I can look around and see where I am and what’s going on around me and forget that God is with me. When my life is in the “pit,” I can forget that God is preparing a great ending for me if I’ll be faithful.

My human eyes too often overpower my spiritual faith.

…But The Lord…

It doesn’t really matter in the end what comes before or after that, that’s all I really need to know.
Regardless of my situation.
Regardless of my feelings.
Regardless of my outlook.

God is with me.

Regardless of where you are.
Regardless of what you’re being told.
Regardless of the hell that is raging around you…

…But The Lord…

Be encouraged! Keep your faith and your eyes on Jesus. He’s there.