And the Lord was with Joseph

Sold by his brothers into slavery… and the Lord was with Joseph.
Bought by the Captain of the guard of Pharaoh… and the Lord was with Joseph.
Served in a foreign land as a slave, with no national insurance or social benefits, no pension scheme, no sickness allowance… and the Lord was with Joseph.
Endured many dark days… and the Lord was with Joseph.
Cried many nights for many years… and the Lord was with Joseph.
Wrongly accused of immorality… and the Lord was with Joseph.
Incarcerated for a crime and sin he did not commit… and the Lord was with Joseph.
Held in high esteem in prison… and the Lord was with Joseph
Journeyed his way from prison to the palace… and the Lord was with Joseph.
Chosen to lead the greatest and most powerful nation in the world at the time… and the Lord was with Joseph.
Married and was fruitful with children… and the Lord was with Joseph.
Forgave his brothers who sold him… and the Lord was with Joseph.

Remember where we started from? Read the journey again from the beginning and let it sink in.

We know the story too well; we have heard it too many times. God was with Joseph in a strange land, a land inbetween, where hope appeared impossible. Maybe he was beaten, flogged with many strips and starved for days. Maybe his back bore the marks of slavery and hardship the rest of his life. Maybe he broke a bone in the process. Maybe… There may be so many ‘maybes’ in Joseph’s story from where you stand but one thing remained unquestionable; “The Lord was with Joseph”
And with that came other facts about his story:

The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master. Genesis 39:2 ESV

But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. Genesis 39:21 ESV

The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph’s charge, because the Lord was with him. And whatever he did, the Lord made it succeed. Genesis 39: 23 ESV

Joseph was a success story and today we stand in awe of the God who turned the life of a hopeless young lad into an inspiration forever. He can do the same with you. Erase the “lessness” and keep “Hope” alive. You too will make it in life.

But let’s not miss the deep truth in between the lines of scripture… As much as God was with Joseph, Joseph was in God. It can only work both ways; abide in Him and your story will change for good… forever.