Lessons from Joseph’s Unexpected Trials
Unexpected trials arrive without warning. I remember driving down a beautiful country road when I saw a flash of brown fur. Before I could react, I heard a thud, felt a jolt, and the airbags exploded. In an instant, my day changed. Life can be like that. From devastating circumstances to everyday disappointments, trials come without warning. Few things are harder than watching life move in the opposite direction of what you believed God would allow, especially when you have tried to obey Him. Delay is confusing, betrayal is heartbreaking, and suffering is painful. Joseph in the Bible understood all three. God gave him a dream that pointed toward a future of influence and leadership. Yet almost immediately, his life became filled with hardship.
Joseph’s ten older brothers betrayed him. They threw him into a pit and sold him into slavery. The people who should have loved and protected him became the source of his deepest pain. I wonder what Joseph thought as he traveled to Egypt in chains? In one moment his secure life became uncertain and frightening. Things continued to be difficult for Joseph. He faithfully served in Potiphar’s house, but after fleeing temptation, he was falsely accused and thrown into prison. He suffered, not because of his own wrongdoing but because wrong was done to him.
Through every trial, Joseph stayed faithful to God. He learned the importance of fearing God and obeying His commands, two things he could control when everything else was out of his control. God blessed his faithfulness and gave him wisdom to interpret dreams. Yet after helping Pharaoh’s cupbearer by interpreting his dream, Joseph was forgotten for two more years. Many people lose heart when life feels unfair. But Joseph’s story reveals the powerful truth that God had not forgotten him. He is always working, even when things don’t make sense.
The pit wasn't proof of God's abandonment, and the prison was not the end of Joseph’s story. God was positioning Joseph. Each time, what looked like destruction was actually preparation. At the perfectly appointed time, Pharaoh called for him, and in one moment, Joseph the prisoner became Joseph the ruler. The brother who was once rejected became the very instrument God used to preserve many lives, including his brothers. Years later, Joseph stood face to face with them. He could have repaid them with revenge. Instead, he responded with merciful kindness. Joseph said, “…ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good…” He understood that God used even sin done against him to accomplish His greater purposes. This doesn’t make betrayal good, but it does reveal God's power to redeem what was meant for harm. Joseph’s life shows that God is sovereign in every season. He was always present… in the pit, in the prison, and in the waiting. Before suffering, Joseph knew about God. Through suffering, Joseph came to intimately know God as his Sustainer, Refiner, Deliverer, and Redeemer. What could have broken him strengthened both his character and his faith.
LIFE-GIVING ENCOURAGEMENT
Many people today feel stuck in a hard season of life. Joseph’s story reminds us that God has not forgotten us. Delay doesn’t mean God is absent, hardship doesn't mean His promises have failed, and betrayal isn’t beyond His power to redeem. God often does His deepest work in difficult seasons. Joseph teaches to trust God when life is confusing, to refuse bitterness, and to believe that God is good even when life is hard. Though Joseph couldn't see the full picture while suffering, he later realized God had been working through every painful situation. In God's perfect timing, the dream he gave to Joseph came to pass. When life changes in a moment, don’t forget this!
PRAYER
Father, help me to trust You even when life is hard. Remind me that You are working even when I can’t see. Guard my heart from bitterness and teach me to trust Your timing. Amen.
Colette Fabry is the founder of A Right Heart Ministries, where she and her staff assist grieving individuals, guiding them to recognize God as the healer of all brokenness. Colette is the owner of Rochester Anger Management, a company dedicated to providing hope and healing for those in need. She holds a Masters degree in counseling and theology, and is nationally certified in conflict resolution as well as grief and loss. For the past 28 years, Colette has successfully taught problem-solving and strategies to overcome everyday obstacles. Colette is wife, mother of three sons, grandmother, a nationally known speaker and author. She enjoys reading, studying, writing and says God’s greatest accomplishment in her life has been raising her sons. She cherishes time spent with her grandchildren.
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Sharon W. Betters is a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, pastor’s wife, and cofounder of MARKINC Ministries, where she is the Director of Resource Development. Sharon is the author of several books, including Treasures of Encouragement, Treasures in Darkness, and co-author with Susan Hunt of Aging with Grace. She is the co-host of the Help & Hope podcast and writes Daily Treasure, an online devotional.
Contact Sharon with comments or questions at dailytreasure@markinc.org.