Because the Lord was with Joseph, and whatever he did, the Lord made it succeed.
– Genesis 39:23
It’s interesting, this phrase is used four times in Genesis 39, “the Lord was with Joseph.” At the very beginning of the chapter, when Joseph has been sold into slavery, the Lord was with him. When Joseph is experiencing challenges to his purity and his holiness, the Lord was with Joseph. And then when he was unjustly thrown into prison, the Lord was with Joseph. Wherever Joseph is in his highs and his lows and life, this is the story.
In such a way that in Acts 7, when Stephen’s looking back at the story of Joseph, this is his commentary on Joseph’s life. He says, “You remember how the Lord was with Joseph?” And verse 23 here in Genesis 39 says, “Whatever Joseph did, the Lord made it succeed.” In other words, the key to Joseph’s life was the presence of God with him in highs and lows. That God was always with him and flowing from the presence of God was everything Joseph needed in those highs or in those lows to succeed.
Genesis 39:23 illustrates God’s indwelling power for daily life.
Which then leads me to encourage you today. If you’re a follower of Jesus, in a greater way than Joseph ever experienced, the Lord is not only with you, God with you, that that’s the story of your life. In a deeper way, he is in you. The Holy Spirit of God dwells inside of you. I just want to encourage you with this today amidst whatever high you’re experiencing in your life to know that the Lord is with you. That he’s the giver of every good thing you’re experiencing. See him with you inside of you.
And if you’re walking through any kind of low to know the same, that you are not alone in the valley you’re walking through. You’re not alone in the trial, struggle you’re facing. That the Lord is not just near you, he is inside of you. He is promising from inside of you to give you everything you need today. The peace, the strength, the help, the wisdom, the courage, everything you need to succeed.
Genesis 39:23 encourages confidence in God’s faithfulness.
And I don’t use that term with a worldly definition, but with a biblical definition behind it. To be faithful in what God has called you to in this moment in your life. God is in you to help you succeed in faithfulness and the fruitfulness that will flow from that. So we pray. God, all glory be to your name for this reality, that this is the commentary on our lives. By your grace made possible through Jesus, through your Holy Spirit inside of us, that you are always, always, always with us, in us.
God, I pray that every single person listening to this right now would experience in a fresh way in this moment the wonder that they are not alone. That you, the God of the universe, dwell inside of them with the power of your Holy Spirit. And God, I pray for all that flows from you to be theirs today. All that flows from your presence in them. Your comfort, your strength, your fruit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, all the fruit of your Spirit, your wisdom, oh God. Your help in every single way they need God, that they would know in a deeper way than Joseph could ever know, even in this moment and all day long today that you are with them.
Prayer for the Ghanchi People
Jesus, we praise you for making that reality possible for us. And we pray that you help us by the power of your Spirit in us to do what Acts 1:8 says your Spirit will help us to do. To be witnesses to you today. God, help us to succeed in witnessing to you today and leading others to you right around us.
Lord, we pray by the power of your Holy Spirit for the spread of the gospel to the Ghanchi people of India, 130,000 of them Hindu men, women, and children. God for the Ghanchi people. We pray for the power of your Spirit to lead some of your people to the Ghanchi, to reach them with the gospel. Oh God, help each of us today to live in the fullness of your presence with us and in us. In Jesus’ name, we pray according to Genesis 39:23. Amen.
David Platt serves as a Lead Pastor for McLean Bible Church. He is also the Founder and Chairman of Radical, an organization that helps people follow Jesus and make him known in their neighborhood and all nations.
David received his B.A. from the University of Georgia and M.Div., Th.M., and Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Some of his published works include Radical, Radical Together, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, and Don’t Hold Back.
He lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area with his wife and children.
