Joseph
was taken to Egypt and sold as a slave to an officer of Pharaoh. Why would God
allow such a thing? And
then we read a phrase that makes us question our theology: “The Lord was with Joseph” (Gen. 39:2-3). It’s enough to
raise an eyebrow.
We read on. Later he was falsely accused and unjustly thrown into prison, without a proper trial. Again it says, “The Lord was with Joseph . . .” But there’s even more, enough to lift the other eyebrow. “. . . and extended kindness toward him” (39:21).
Suppose an opinion poll was taken at that time. The pollster asks, “Joseph was betrayed, sold as a slave, falsely accused, and unjustly imprisoned. Do you think God is with him?” The man on the street says, “Obviously God can’t be with him. If the Lord was with Joseph, those things wouldn’t have happened.”
It’s easy to believe the Lord is with someone who is on the way up, but not on the way down. Up to this point, Joseph was only going down. The Lord can be with you when your circumstances tell you He isn’t.
Gideon was hiding from the Midianites, when the angel of the Lord said, “The Lord is with you, O valiant warrior!” Gideon responded, “If the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us?” (Judges 6:12-13).
When is He with you? He’s with you when you’re faithfully doing what He calls you to do. He’s with you when you keep the right attitude when you’re falsely accused. He’s with you when you trust Him, even when the situation says He has abandoned you. Live today as though He is actually with you, and the Lord will be with you. www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com www.makinglifecount.net
BIBLE STUDY: How can a loving God send people to hell?
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