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Suffering success Genesis 39 Joseph Bible Christian

This article is also available in Urdu here.

Read Genesis chapter 39 here.

Many people feel trapped in life by difficult circumstances and unhappy situations that seem beyond their control. They feel that life cannot get better unless their situation somehow changes or improves.

Joseph had been betrayed by his brothers, sold as a slave and taken as a captive to a strange land. Things could not have been much worse. Joseph had little control over his situation, yet the Bible repeatedly says that Joseph prospered and had success—that everything he did went well. Why?  Because God was with Joseph.

The LORD was with Joseph and he prospered [even though] he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. Genesis 39:2

In fact, things did get worse. He was falsely accused of rape and imprisoned for many years, seemingly forgotten. But as depressing as his circumstances seemed to be, Joseph was exactly where God wanted him to be. God faithfully remained with Joseph and continued to bless him, and Joseph continued to prosper. There is no hint of despair from Joseph.

God was preparing Joseph for a special purpose. (See Genesis 45:4-8 and 50:20.) Even though Joseph was a slave, a prisoner, a foreigner and without family or friends, he was successful in everything he did because of God’s blessing.

What is your “Egyptian Master”? Is it a difficult marriage or relationship, loneliness, a work situation, an illness or disability? There is no situation that is beyond God’s reach. (See Psalm 139, especially verses 7-12.)

Is God with you? Are you in God’s will? Or perhaps God actually does want you to change something in your life? But that’s another story.

God promises to be near us when we seek to be close to him. Seek his Presence, seek his guidance, seek his will and live it, and you will prosper.

Come near to God and he will come near to you.  James 4:8


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1 thought on “Suffer or Succeed

  1. Very encouraging. Keep going.

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