Do you ever feel like your days are filled with one
messy relationship and situation after another?
During “messy” seasons, it’s easy for me to label my circumstances and myself as “a mess” and then wonder how God could ever use me, or my experiences, for good.
To protect my heart from discouragement, I often ask God to remind me of times when He has worked in ways I couldn’t have imagined, in my life and the lives of others. Recently He reminded me of Joseph’s story (Genesis 37-50). It reads like a series of very unfortunate events!
Imagine being beaten and thrown into a pit, sold as a slave and then relocated to a foreign country where you are falsely accused of a crime you didn’t commit and banished to die in prison. And to make matters worse, what if your siblings had initiated this evil against you?
That’s only the beginning of what happened to Joseph.
Looking behind the scenes of stories like his helps me see how God specializes in using messes to transform people into masterpieces of His grace. That’s exactly what He did here:
“[Joseph’s brothers] saw him from afar, and before he came near to them they conspired against him to kill him … they stripped him of his robe … and they threw him into a pit” (Genesis 37:18, 23b–24, ESV).
Joseph was then taken to Egypt where he was sold as a slave to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh. Could things get worse? They did when Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce him, and despite Joseph resisting her advances, she accused him of attempting to rape her:
” … she called to the men of her household and said to them, ‘See, he has brought among us a Hebrew to laugh at us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. And as soon as he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried out, he left his garment beside me and fled and got out of the house.’”
“As soon as his master heard the words that his wife spoke to him … his anger was kindled. And Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison …” (Genesis 39:14-15, 19-20a).
In Potiphar’s house, Joseph learned servant leadership and integrity; in prison, Joseph learned forgiveness, wisdom and patience. He had been wronged multiple times, yet he experienced God’s guidance through the darkness that helped Joseph get out of prison:
“And the keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever was done there, he was the one who did it. … And whatever he did, the LORD made it succeed” (Genesis 39:22-23, ESV).
In a messy pit, the house of Potiphar and a cold dark prison, God prepared Joseph for the amazing future and role he would play in rescuing God’s people and eventually bringing his family back together.
Through it all, Joseph stayed close to God and allowed his difficult circumstances to make him more dependent on the Lord. And in turn, God molded Joseph’s character into a great and godly leader — who was humble, loving, forgiving, patient and wise.
Friend, if you are feeling like you’re in a pit right now just like Joseph was, I want to encourage you: don’t despise the mess you’re in. As you surrender to Him and seek Him with all your heart, God will do behind-the-scenes work ~ as He prepares to unleash His limitless power in and through you!
Dear Lord, thank You for reminding me that You are always with me, just like You were with Joseph. When I face hard circumstances, I want to lean in and depend on You for wisdom, patience and grace. In all these things, I will remember that I am more than a conqueror through Him who loves me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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sounds like truth that I need to embrace right now.
Thanks
Your message is God’s perfect timing in the pit I’m in right now. Yes, God will use this and every circumstance for my good. It’s just hard sometimes when the pain and sorrow is so great. God has been whispering to me that He has better things for me if I will just give him what I have.
Too often, as I’ve gotten older, I feel a “mess”… useless, slow, and overwhelmed. Thanks for the much needed reminder that our God is right there with me-and not finished with me yet!
WOW and I thought I was the only one going through trials. I think in the last 6 months God has been trying hard to get my attention and I have been listening but it seems that no matter what something else happens and I am alone again. Alone at least in this world by humans but not by Him…I have felt Him there through it all.
Wow, were you reading my journal. “What a mess I feel my life is in at this moment in time.” That was just what I had put in my journal Sunday, May 25th. I am on a Sabbatical for the summer to find where God is taking me this summer, in this new season of my life. So many things going on that I feel like I am in a mess. Family discord, financial, physical, and so much more.
I know that God is in control and has a plan. He knew I would be here today and all that He has planned for me at this time. He will never leave me but walk with me through this mess called life.
God has been using the book of Acts (our sermon series) and some other devotionals, and books I am reading to teach me the things I need to know regarding where I am at in my mess. Yesterday He revealed my part in the mess and some things I need to do to clean up the messes. This week I will be having some courageous conversations as I go to people I need to ask for forgiveness from. I am also so blessed with prayer partners who pray for me and keep me accountable.
God knows every detail of my life. I am looking forward to what He will show me through this study and my personal time with Him this summer.
My life lately has been one mess after another. Through my trials I have learned to look to Jesus instead of my circumstances. Thank you for this reminder that God has a plan and I just need to trust him more with my whole life.
Life does get messy and disappointing. God has brought me through so many heartaches where He planned something MUCH better for me. While in the midst of it, I do get discouraged, but He never stops working behind the scenes. Praise the Lord!
I feel like my life is a constant mess!! The house is a mess, laundry is never ending, finances are a mess, everything is so unorganized. Aaaagghhh! It just makes me crazy some days, but I try really hard to live “let go and let God!” But there are those days when the defeat can become overwhelming. Reading this devotion about Joseph’s trial, it really reminds me that things could be worse, but God is always there with his support and guidance. God is good, all the time!
Thank you for your post. The past 7 years have been a season of challenges and disappointments for me. Thankfully unlike Joseph I have family and friends that bring joy into my life. Struggling to find the right direction to turn to and your resources always remind me that God has a plan and everything will fit together in the end.
Oh what a great reminder! Soothes the soul. Sometimes it can be hard to look beyond the situation. Keeping my eyes focused on Jesus, not the waves
It is so easy to be overcome by the trials in our life. When the trials are many so often hope wanes. I am guilty of becoming so overwhelmed in the trials that I forget to hand it over to Jesus, and when that happens hopelessness sets in. In this walk with Christ I can now look back, and see with the help of Jesus, those areas in my life where I have grown because of the trials. Thank you Renee for reminding us where to look when those trials come.
Joseph was such a wonderful example to us on how God will take care of us and bless us even in the midst of trial and suffering. God is faithful! I love the verse in Isaiah 26:3 – “Thous wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” It’s so difficult to not let your heart and mind get overwhelmed with worry, stress, and regrets when you are going through a trial. I had a very dear Christian friend commit suicide recently. There was so much pain in the community and a people started placing blame on others. It was a very dark time in my life, but praise God, He is bringing healing and He is getting glory through the loss of my friend’s life, despite broken hearts and the cruel ones who spread painful and untrue rumors about me and others during this time. I definitely am no Joseph…. I have regrets and I have a long way to go in my walk with Jesus. But with the Holy Spirit’s help, I am learning to keep my mind on the One who gives us peace. Thank you for your blog and your books….they are helping to make a difference in my life and others and point us to Jesus.
I am in that season of my life right now and this devotion spoke volumes to my heart! To God be the glory!
I am walking with a friend through an extremely difficult time right now. Every part of her life(wayward child, sick parents, checked out husband, her health) seems determined to put her on trial and leaving her feeling abandoned and questioning her worth. She’s at the point where she feels she has nothing left to give. Hoping these will be encouraging and promised-filled words for her.
For the last 3 years, I have gone through many trials and tribulations. It seems sometimes that I feel I am doomed for bad luck and want to just give up. But I am reminded of God’s grace and mercy while remembering my great uncle telling me the story of Joseph. Though I have lost my job, home, car, friends and learned who my true family is, I have learned to rely on God, be patient and have faith that there is a plan for me and God will take care of me.
I pray you continue to bless me with your words and the book Limitless Life.
This is a great reminder not to focus on the hardships but the great blessings He’s already provided.
He is a great and mighty God! Thank you for sharing this.
I can remember a time, just in the last year that I was in a time such as that. And I thank God that I leaned on him, that I did not turn from him. So now I pray that God will mold me as he did Joseph and make me wise and use me as he sees fit. To God be the Glory! I have already had some awesome opportunities to share my story, lift others up and prayfully give them hope that there is a light at the end of this tunnel.
God never fails us. He is always with us. He is doing His work in and through us. We must wait on Him and He will take care of us in every situation. Praise The Lord!
These are great reminders and totally spot-on! Thank you for writing this encouraging and important post, it made a difference to my day :0)
You have a beautiful heart!
-Ava Sophie
You caught me at the first sentence … Remind me of how He has worked in my life as I never imagined I would be where I m today but know that I’ve been leaning each of the past three years on the Rock that doesn’t move. Thanks for the opportunity to receive a copy do the book.