Read: Genesis 39

Reflect:
As you read this passage you might have noticed a phrase repeated.  Four times it says “the Lord was with Joseph.” Genesis 39:2-3 says “The LORD was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master.  When his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD gave him success in everything he did.”  Then again in Genesis 39:20-23 it says “Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined.  But while Joseph was there in the prison, the LORD was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.  So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there.  The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the LORD was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.”  What a rollercoaster ride Joseph has had! He’s been sold into slavery, then he’s successful in the house of his Egyptian master but by the end of the chapter, he’s thrown into prison even though he did nothing to deserve being put in a dungeon. Yet, in the middle of it all, whether things were going well in the house of his Egyptian master or things were not going so well in a dungeon, the Lord was with him.  This truth is repeated throughout Scripture in the lives of Abraham, Moses, and Joshua and it is what Jesus tells his disciples at the end of the great commission (Matthew 28:18-20): “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  Whether you are in a battle or are celebrating victory, whether you are on a mountain top or you need a mountain moved, whether you are in chains or in a palace, know that God is with you.  You are not alone. God, Himself, is by your side.

Pray:
God, help us to live in light of your presence. Help us to glorify you and walk with humble confidence in you. Give us direction and wisdom. Help us in everything we do in our lives, in our families, in our work. God, direct us and empower us. God, show the power of your presence with us today. Amen.