“The Lord was with Joseph.”
My heart was deeply impacted by this phrase as I read the story of Joseph. This beautiful, powerful line is repeated three times in Genesis 39, while the implications of it are seen throughout the story of his life (Genesis 37-50). Wronged by his family, his master, and strangers, Joseph experienced situations that were unfair and unjust. More than once he underwent these hopeless situations, yet each time the Lord brought him out of it. The answer to his circumstances was not his own wisdom, his position, or his hard work; it was the presence of God. The Lord was with Joseph, and that changed everything.
The Lord Was With Them
This truth has been a consistent source of comfort to me over this past year full of unknowns and stress. Recently, I have been reading through the book of Exodus and seeing how God’s presence changed their circumstances. Israel was an oppressed nation that had known nothing but embittered slavery for 400 years. But, God brought them out and built them into a free nation. When trapped between their enemy and an impenetrable barrier (the Red Sea), the Lord opened an impossible doorway. He led them to freedom, defeating their enemy. When traveling through the wilderness, they had no food, but God gave them bread from heaven. On multiple occasions, they were without water, but God provided, even causing water to come from a rock. He helped them to win battles, defeating powerful enemies that would have been impossible on their own.
The Lord is with you. His presence is a constant truth, whether we feel it or not. No matter the circumstance, He is there and can be trusted to lead and guide you through anything. Personally, the Lord has challenged me many times by asking, “What happens when I show up in an impossible situation?” When I look at the whole story of scripture, God’s presence always brings about the answer to any situation, no matter how impossible, so I can trust Him to do the same in my own life.
Personally, the Lord has challenged me many times by asking, “What happens when I show up in an impossible situation?”
Application
Read the following portions of scripture and see how God’s presence changed their circumstances:
- Genesis 39-41
- Exodus 15:22-27
- Exodus 16
- Exodus 17:1-7
- Daniel 3
Think about your own circumstance. If the Lord is present with you (which He is) and if His presence changes things (which it does), how can you look at and experience this season differently? And, if you have a way to do so, I encourage you to listen to the song, Another in the Fire by Hillsong United.
Written By: Kelly