The Lord Was With Joseph
Today’s Verse:
Genesis 39:2 ESV
The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master.
This week, we’re taking time to reflect upon a sermon series I put together that never made it to church - “Finding Hope in the Wilderness.” Today we focus on Joseph from Genesis 39:1-23.
Joseph’s life was a rollercoaster of betrayal and hardship. Sold into slavery by his brothers, he found himself in Egypt, serving in Potiphar’s house. Despite his faithfulness, he faced another blow: false accusations from Potiphar’s wife led to his imprisonment. Yet, the refrain of this passage is clear—“The Lord was with Joseph” (vv. 2, 21, 23). Even in slavery and prison, God’s presence transformed Joseph’s story from one of despair to one of hope.
As Lutherans, we understand that life’s injustices—whether betrayal, false accusations, or unearned suffering—can test our faith. Like Joseph, we may wonder where God is when the world seems stacked against us. Yet, this story reminds us of God’s steadfast promise: He is with us, working through our trials for His purposes. Luther taught that God often hides His grace in the “masks” of suffering, revealing His love in ways we cannot yet see. Joseph’s faithfulness wasn’t in striving for worldly success but in trusting God’s presence, even in the darkest moments.
Joseph’s response to injustice wasn’t bitterness or revenge but integrity and trust. He resisted temptation, not out of his own strength, but because he feared God (v. 9). In prison, he didn’t despair but served faithfully, and God’s favor shone through his work. This points us to Christ, who endured the ultimate injustice on the cross, yet trusted the Father’s plan. Through Jesus, we are assured that no betrayal or suffering is beyond God’s redemptive power.
.Prayers
A Prayer for Today:
Gracious God, You were with Joseph in slavery and prison, and You are with us in our trials. When we face betrayal or injustice, help us to trust Your presence and to live with integrity. By Your Spirit, strengthen our faith to rest in Your promises, knowing that You work all things for good. Through Jesus, who endured the cross for us, we pray. Amen.
Apostles’ Creed:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Luther’s Morning Prayer:
I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.
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