Prospering in Suffering: Lessons From Joseph's LifeMuestra

How to Prosper While Suffering: Seek Deliverance and Grace

When the opportunity arose, Joseph pursued his freedom. He asked the butler to help him get out of prison upon the butler's reinstatement before Pharaoh. The Matthew Poole Commentary notes of Joseph, “though he patiently endures his prison, yet he prudently uses all lawful means to get his freedom.”

We’ve noted that suffering is inevitable and that there are ways we can endure while we are in our periods of tribulation. But that doesn't mean we can't ask God for help and seize any opportunities He gives us to improve our situation. And if God tells us that the situation will not be improved, we can depend on His grace to thrive in the midst of suffering.

Keep these things in mind while seeking deliverance and grace:

• Continuously ask, seek, and knock. In the Amplified version of Matthew 7:7-8, Jesus tells his followers to “. . . ask and keep on asking . . . seek and keep on seeking . . . knock and keep on knocking” (emphasis mine). Jesus is saying don’t give up in prayer. Your situation might require multiple prayers, fasting, and asking others to pray with you. Keep praying and seeking God until He answers you. And make sure that the opportunity for deliverance is a God-given response before moving forward. Pain makes us seek a quick fix. Just as God provides ways to escape, the Devil may also offer deceptive solutions that cause more suffering. Make sure any reprieve aligns with God's word. Opportunities that contradict God's Word are not from Him.
• Go to people God leads you to, but don’t put your trust in them. We can imagine Joseph’s great anticipation the day the butler got out of prison. He eagerly waits a day, hoping for word that the butler has mentioned his situation to Pharaoh and that justice is on its way. A day of expectation turns into a week, then a month, then a year. By the time two years of waiting roll around, Joseph’s anticipation has undoubtedly turned to utter disappointment. Yet another person had betrayed him.
• When God finally delivers Joseph from the dungeon and fulfills all his dreams, he gives God the glory when reflecting on his experience in Egypt. He had learned that people may cause him harm, but God controlled his life's events and turned people’s evil into good. Joseph didn't give credit for his new status to the butler or pharaoh. He gave all the glory to God, who used people to bring about the deliverance he needed.
• Receive God's grace and power to handle permanent afflictions. There are times, despite your persistent requests, God may answer your prayer for deliverance with a permanent "No," without explanation. Remember that God is with you and you can bloom where you are planted. God's "No" doesn't mean He's abandoned you or that you won't fulfill His plans for your life. God’s “No” means you can experience God’s power and grace in abundant measure. Accepting a permanent affliction is difficult and requires God's grace and power to face lifelong challenges.
• If you're facing a permanent affliction and need encouragement, read Joni Eareckson Tada's story on prospering through suffering. Joni became quadriplegic at 17. Her physical disability caused moments of great depression. However, with her faith in God and the support of godly people, God uses Joni and the great things He has done in her life to encourage millions worldwide. She's not just surviving, she's thriving.

When Jesus said to "take heart" during suffering, He was calling believers to approach it differently from unbelievers by seeing His victory as theirs. He wanted us to be courageous and joyful in the face of suffering because His plans are to prosper us even while we suffer. God can use us for His purpose if we have faith, remember His presence, and strive for excellence. God’s grace and power are sufficient to see us through suffering. When we are weak, we can be strong.