Worshiping Through Trial and Toil
The Lord caused all that he did to succeed in his hands. (Genesis 39:2-3)
If all that Joseph had was his famous brightly colored coat, he would have been ruined when his brothers took it from him and sold him into slavery. But there was character inside the man who wore that coat—and when Joseph lost his coat, he didn’t lose his character. Rather, he continued to be formed and framed as a slave in Potiphar’s household. In this crucible of affliction, God poured out blessing and favor on Joseph’s life.
It would have been understandable if, finding himself a slave in an Egyptian household, Joseph had retreated into a cocoon of isolation, refusing to become involved in the world around him, protesting Egypt’s paganism, and resenting Potiphar’s authority. This approach, though, would not have afforded him an opportunity for witness or testimony. Instead of shutting down, Joseph seemingly determined that he would be the best servant that Potiphar ever had because he knew he ultimately served God.
While Joseph prospered on account of God’s goodness, he remained a slave. His day-to-day life was filled with drudgery—something most of us can relate to! But if you and I want to flourish in the worst or most mundane of circumstances, we must learn how to take life’s routine experiences and see God’s hand of blessing in them, whatever they might be.
Because Joseph was able to trust God through his trials, Potiphar, we’re told, saw that the Lord was with Joseph and caused all his success. Joseph didn’t have to tell Potiphar that he had special favor on his life. When God’s blessing is on a life, it will be apparent—and sometimes, as we see with Potiphar, even unbelievers can’t help but notice.
We need to learn to live with the awareness that every matter we deal with, every moment we spend, and every move we make is an opportunity to bring glory and praise to God. Wherever we find ourselves, we can (as Paul wrote to those who found themselves, like Joseph, both God’s people and enslaved) “work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord [we] will receive the inheritance as [our] reward [because we] are serving the Lord Christ” (Colossians 3:23-24). Only when we understand that we were created for His glory can we turn life’s trials and toils into acts of worship. Our responsibilities, says the Bible, are opportunities to reveal our dependence on God and evidence of His blessing. Whether we discover ourselves as CEOs or street sweepers, trading shares or building houses or changing diapers, we will be both humbled and lifted up as we pray:
Teach me, my God and King,
In all things thee to see,
And what I do in anything,
To do it as for thee.*
*George Herbert, “The Elixir,” The English Poems of George Herbert, ed. Helen Wilcox (Cambridge University Press, 2007), p. 640.
Genesis 39:2
“The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master.”
Joseph’s prosperity in a foreign land highlights the truth that God’s favor does not depend on our circumstances. Even in hardship, we can thrive through His presence, allowing us to shine even in the darkest moments.
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