Out of the Mire - Trusting God in the Middle of TrialsSample

A Life of Dissatisfaction

When I turned 17, I would drive downtown every Tuesday to see Grandma. We would hang out on the front porch and talk for hours. I grew very close to her during that time.

Soon after that, she ended up eloping with a man half her age. My family and I didn’t see her for several years.

Inevitably, the man Grandma married got into some trouble and abandoned her when she had no more money to give him. She was homeless and had no place to live. We took her in for a few days, but in order to protect her, we had to send her to live with my aunt several states away. I saw my grandma one last time before she died in 2019.

Grandma showed me what it meant to be dissatisfied. She believed that things would always be greener on the other side of the fence. She missed out on a loving relationship with her family to chase something false.

In today’s passage, Joseph’s brothers were not just jealous of Joseph, they were dissatisfied with their own lives. They wanted what they didn’t have: the love and favoritism of their father. They believed that if they could just “get rid of the problem” (Joseph), then everything would be better for them. Perhaps they would finally gain their father’s love and acceptance!

Notice as you read the story over the next few days that nothing changed for the better for the brothers after they got rid of Joseph. In fact, things got so much worse for them! Jacob, their father, was more distant than ever. He wanted nothing to do with his sons.

It’s a shame that Joseph’s brothers were unsatisfied when they had so much to be thankful for. They lived in a big family with wives, children, cousins, brothers, and a loving mother. They were prosperous with wealth and land. Perhaps they would have been much happier if they had focused on the things they did have rather than the things they didn’t.

What about you? Is there something you feel dissatisfied about? Is there some matter you wish you could take into your own hands?

Before you do, remember the story of Joseph’s brothers. Taking matters into your own hands is never wise. Instead, take your problems to God. He’s the only One who can truly give you the desires of your heart.