Scared but Faithful
My favorite person in the Bible is Joseph. He suffered through so many trials and never gave in to the hurt. He never turned away from God.
In Genesis 37:23-28, his brothers threw him in a pit. They later sold him to Ishmaelite traders.
In Genesis 39:20-21 he was falsely accused and thrown in to prison.
In Genesis 40:14-15 he asked the cupbearer to tell Pharaoh about his circumstance. The man forgot and did not mention the sufferings of Joseph. He was in jail for two more years.
All in all Joseph had about 22 years of testing from God. Through each struggle he stayed faithful. He never complained to God. He never begged God to spare him whatever trial was placed before his path.
He did ask his brothers to end his pain but they rejected the plea.
“Then they said to one another, "Truly we are guilty concerning our brother, because we saw the distress of his soul when he pleaded with us, yet we would not listen; therefore this distress has come upon us” (Genesis 42:21)
Joseph was young and scared but he still trusted God. God listened!
What was his reward? He had 71 more years, many of those being the top official in Egypt. Would you trade 22 years for 71 years? Would you trade a few years of struggle for eternity of paradise. We all would. The thing is we don’t know what the years will bring, but neither did Joseph.
Becky DeBerry
In Genesis 37:23-28, his brothers threw him in a pit. They later sold him to Ishmaelite traders.
In Genesis 39:20-21 he was falsely accused and thrown in to prison.
In Genesis 40:14-15 he asked the cupbearer to tell Pharaoh about his circumstance. The man forgot and did not mention the sufferings of Joseph. He was in jail for two more years.
All in all Joseph had about 22 years of testing from God. Through each struggle he stayed faithful. He never complained to God. He never begged God to spare him whatever trial was placed before his path.
He did ask his brothers to end his pain but they rejected the plea.
“Then they said to one another, "Truly we are guilty concerning our brother, because we saw the distress of his soul when he pleaded with us, yet we would not listen; therefore this distress has come upon us” (Genesis 42:21)
Joseph was young and scared but he still trusted God. God listened!
What was his reward? He had 71 more years, many of those being the top official in Egypt. Would you trade 22 years for 71 years? Would you trade a few years of struggle for eternity of paradise. We all would. The thing is we don’t know what the years will bring, but neither did Joseph.
Becky DeBerry