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

Joseph’s Lousy Career

Have you ever had a responsibility you hated? Perhaps you dread Mondays and having to wake up early. Or you feel overwhelmed at home with the endless number of chores. Maybe you hate your mundane, boring job with little promise for success. Perhaps you have even gotten abused by your boss, clients, or co-workers!

Psalm 34:17-18:The righteous cry, and Yahweh hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. Yahweh is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit.

How magnificent is this verse? It’s a promise to us! When the righteous cry out to God, He will deliver them, He will hear them, and He will be near to them. It doesn’t say that He might deliver them or He sometimes will listen to them. No. Every single time the righteous call to Him, the Lord will hear and deliver them.

Where we left off, Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. Can you imagine the hurt Joseph must have felt? But God was there with Joseph in his time of need.

You can see in today’s passage that Joseph has done very well for himself. Potiphar gave Joseph a charge of his entire home. With Joseph around, Potiphar didn’t have to worry about anything... except what he wanted for lunch! Although it doesn’t clearly tell us how much time had passed before Potiphar promoted Joseph, it doesn’t seem like much at all, does it? God was so close to Joseph that He allowed Joseph to prosper in a short period of time.

God saw Joseph. He knew about Joseph’s terrible situation and blessed him in spite of it. He knows your situation too. He understands how you feel when you wake up every morning depressed about your job. He hears how your co-workers treat you, and every mean thing said behind your back. He sees everything. So don’t worry! You aren’t alone! Perhaps you don’t see it yet, but God is doing good things in your life, just like He did with Joseph.

In the meantime, even if you hate your job, remember that God is right there working alongside you. Although you may feel miserable for a short time, it will not be forever.