WHERE IS GOD WHEN LIFE HURTS?

“Until the day when God shall deign to reveal the future to man, all human wisdom is summed up in these two words—‘Wait and hope.’” 

That line comes from The Count of Monte Cristo, one of my favorite novels. When the circumstances of our lives seem less than ideal, we can wait and hope on God. 

The story of Joseph gives us a glimpse into this kind of faith.

Out of Jacob’s twelve sons, Joseph was the favorite. Naturally, his brothers were jealous. They hated him so much that, though they contemplated killing him, they decided to sell him into slavery. Joseph’s life as a slave wasn’t easy. He even went to prison because of a false accusation. But “the LORD was with Joseph; he showed him kindness and granted him favor” (Genesis 39:21). 

That’s hard to believe. Treated unjustly. Falsely accused. Shunned by his brothers. Separated from his loving father. If it were me, I would be bitter toward God. But not Joseph.

We see the depth of Joseph’s faith in God when, many years later, his brothers find themselves at his feet, begging for forgiveness for what they’d done. He tells them, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.” 

Joseph rightly understood that though God did not approve of his brothers’ actions, God was still working out his good purposes. God was in control all along, even when Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, when he was falsely accused and forsaken. He trusted God through it all. God used Joseph’s dire circumstances to preserve the people of Egypt. He used Joseph’s life as a means of fulfilling his promise that Abraham and Jacob’s descendants would be a blessing to the whole world. From these descendants came Jesus Christ. Now that is the providence of God.

If you’ve entrusted your life to God, you have the assurance that God is with you, regardless of circumstances. He is guiding your life according to his wise plans. So, until tomorrow, let’s comfort our hearts with the words of this song: “God is too wise to be mistaken; God is too good to be unkind. So if you don’t understand, when you don’t see his plan, when you can’t trace his hand, trust his heart.”

Lord God, thank you that I can rest in your unfailing wisdom, power, and love even when my circumstances seem dire. Help me to trust in those moments, knowing you are working behind the scenes in ways I cannot even imagine. Amen.

Throughout this Day: Pray for any loved ones that are going through difficult circumstances right now, asking that God will give them the ability to trust in him throughout this time.