For about a year, I’ve struggled to hold onto faith in something I’m asking God for. Why did he seem silent and why did it take so long? Other things have happened in my life as well, which I have not understood. Where was he when my whole world was turned upside down a few years ago?
Joseph, son of Jacob, and grandson of Abraham, understood those feelings. He understood them way more than I do, I’m sure. We find his story in Genesis 37-50. Joseph was a good son, but he was his father’s favorite. His brothers were jealous. Even though he was doing what was right, his brothers sold him into slavery. They told their father he was dead.
When Joseph worked hard for his master, his master’s wife falsely accused him, and he ended up in prison. I wonder how many times Joseph wondered where God was in all this. But he kept believing in him. Finally after he interpreted Pharaoh's dream, and was made second ruler to Pharaoh, he understood. He was not forgotten. He was chosen to save the lives of many, including his family.
When I think back to that time six years ago, when my world seemed to fall apart, I can see God’s hand at work, protecting and strengthening me through it. And in the recent situation, he has come through so faithfully. While my situation is very different from Joseph’s, I can relate to what he learned - that waiting on God is worth it.
Dear Father, thank you for the assurance that you are there - even when it doesn’t seem like it. Thank you that you work your purpose, and that while the enemy may mean it for bad, you mean it for good. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Throughout this Day: What is something that you’ve been asking God for, longer than you expected? How can you see him at work in your time of waiting?
Additional Resource: Here is a series of articles on where where God is when people suffer: Reflections on Evil and Suffering
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