“The Lord was with Joseph and he became a successful man and he was in the house of his Egyptian master. His master saw that the Lord was with him and the Lord caused all that he did to succeed in his hands.”
– Genesis 39:2-3
Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison. The place where the king’s prisoners were confined and he was there in prison, but the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. The keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever was done there, he was the one who did it. The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph’s charge because the Lord was with him and whatever he did, the Lord made it succeed.
Did you hear it? Four different times. The Lord was with Joseph. So, here’s Joseph. He’s been sold into slavery and then he’s successful in the beginning of this chapter in the house of his Egyptian master. By the end of the chapter, after Genesis 39:2-3 he’s thrown into prison. Yet, in the middle of it all, whether he was doing good in the house of his Egyptian master or not doing so good in a dungeon, the Lord was with him.
Genesis 39:2-3 Reminds Us That God Is With Us
This is the constant truth repeated over and over and over again. Not just in Joseph’s life, but in Abraham’s life, in Moses’ life, in Joshua’s life and on and on and on, through scripture. It’s no surprise then that in the end of the great commission, Jesus says to his disciples, I will be with you always to the end of the age. It’s Paul, the Lord was with me. The Lord stood by my side. 2 Timothy 4. This promise resounds over and over and over again and I just want to remind you of it today.
Just let this soak in. And I know this is, this is kind of common in a sense in the church, but let it soak in as if you’re just first realizing this. The Lord is with you, like right now. Whatever’s going on in your life. Things are going good, for so many. Things are not going good for others of you. You’re walking through this or that in your life, your family, your work. Hear this truth, the Lord is with you. You are not alone. God, Himself, is by your side. To be more specific, in the New Testament, He’s living inside of you. His spirit dwells in you. The Lord is very much with you right now.
Think about how that affects the way you live and about how it affects the way we pray.
This Verse Leads Us to Thank God For Being With Us
Oh, God. Thank you for being with us. Thank you that I’m never alone, that not one of us who’s in Christ is ever alone. That you are always with us. That you are leading and guiding and directing and forming and transforming us. Oh, God. What a glorious truth that the one who created the world, who’s omnipotent, omniscient, sovereign ruler over the universe, that you’re with us right now. Oh, it just knocks us out of our seat when we really think about it.
So, God, help us to live in light of your presence. Help us to glorify you. Help us to walk with humble confidence in you. Give us direction. Give us wisdom. Help us in everything we do in our lives, in our families, in our work. God, direct us. God, empower us. We know that your spirit is in us without any witnesses, sharing the gospel. God, we pray that you would use us by your supernatural power to share the gospel with people today. God, show the power of your presence with us today. Help us to walk with you. We pray, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
