"... the LORD was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did." (Genesis 39:23b)
Well, isn't that nice for Joseph.
But stop for a minute and look at where Joseph is experiencing this success.
He's in jail. He has grown up in a highly dysfunctional family, been sold into slavery by his own brothers, falsely accused of attacking his boss's wife and now sits in jail, working for the warden. He had been responsible and trustworthy and given great responsibilities. But even then, every time it looked like things might be leveling out for Joseph - WHAM! Life smacked him again.
Had Joseph done anything wrong? No. Perhaps he'd been foolish about a few things (see Genesis 37: 5-11) but he hadn't sinned. And yet he still found himself destitute, working for a jail warden, with nothing and no one to rely on but God.
And this was God's idea of success for Joseph.
What can Joseph's story mean for us? Sometimes we feel like we are just getting smacked around by circumstances. It's one blow after another and we don't see how God could possibly be working. (Or we just wish He'd pick another way.) But I would encourage you to have hope. God is still with you as he was always with Joseph (Genesis 39:21). Your very reliance on him counts as success.
If you read on in Joseph's story, God was uniquely positioning Joseph and preparing him to lead the entire country of Egypt, along with its neighbors, through a long period of famine. Joseph's position let him save his family (the future tribes of Israel) by being able to provide for them, and let him be reunited with them.
Who knows? God may be preparing you for your greatest achievements yet. Trust Him to have your success in His hands.
Joseph's family story is a fascinating one, with all the twists and turns you could imagine from any afternoon soap opera. If you want to dig further, read Genesis 27-37 & 39-47. Whew! That was a family that knew drama!
