“And 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, and 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.”
– Genesis 39:20–23
Did you hear that emphasis three different times? We see what God was doing in the middle of this circumstance for Joseph. He’s in prison, unjustly in prison, and yet the Bible says twice the Lord was with him. The Lord was with him. Then even there in prison, the Lord made him succeed, gave Joseph success.
Genesis 39:20–23 Reminds Us God Is Always With Us
It just makes me think, and I’d encourage you to think. Have you ever been in a situation that you would not have chosen to be in, maybe even a situation that you have been unjustly put in? You are in that situation because of someone else’s sin against you.
Regardless of the circumstances in your life, you can hold fast to the promise of God that He is with you. Know that you can trust Him.
I’m guessing we’re all familiar with times in our lives where we’re in situations that we would not have planned, we would not have chosen to be in, and maybe even situations where we’re hurt because we are in those situations because someone else has hurt us. Someone else has done something unjust. Someone else has sinned against us, and it’s in the middle of those times that Genesis 39:20–23 beckons us to remember that even in those situations, you are not alone. I’m guessing there’s some people who are listening to this right now who are in some kind of circumstance right now that you didn’t choose to be in, that you wish maybe you weren’t in, and maybe even you’ve been hurt.
That’s what’s led to you being in this situation, and I just want to remind you from God’s word today that you are not alone. The God of the universe is with you. In the middle of that valley, in the middle of that dungeon, I mean, that’s what it was literally for Joseph, you are not alone. The God of the universe is with you and He wants to strengthen you. This is an astounding statement. The Lord made him succeed in the middle of this. What does success look like in prison? What does success look like in the middle of circumstances that we wouldn’t have planned or we wouldn’t have chosen, that are hard, that are painful, that involve a lot of hurt?
Genesis 39:20–23 Reminds Us Success Is Trusting In God
Success looks like trusting in God, leaning on His strength, and God will prove Himself trustworthy. He will prove Himself strong on your behalf. I wanna pray specifically for those who are in that situation now and for all of us whenever we find ourselves in those situations.
This Verse Leads Us to Praise God
God, help us. We praise you for your promise to never leave us alone. God, I pray especially for brothers and sisters right now who are walking through circumstances where they’re looking around thinking, “How did this happen? How did I get here?” Or they know how they got there and it’s because someone else hurt them.
Or maybe just in a sinful, fallen world, a variety of circumstances have led to this or that struggle relationally, physically, health-wise, in their family, in their lives, in their work, whatever it might be. God, we praise you for your promise to be with us always. I pray that they would know your presence with them right now, they would know they’re not alone, that you hear their cries, you see their tears, you see their struggles, and you make the resources of Heaven available for them to succeed in the middle of this valley, that your strength is there for them, that you have peace that they need. You have joy that they need.
This Verse Leads Us to Ask God To Pour Our His Joy
God pour it out, I pray. Pour it out in the middle of dungeons and valleys. Pour it on those struggles represented in those who are listening to this right now. Please pour out your strength and your peace, your grace, your mercy, your power, all flowing from your presence.
This is the Gospel that we love. In the darkest hour on Earth, in the history of the world, you took the payment of our sin upon yourself. You paid the price for sin in your death and you rose from the grave, conquering it. We know that we can succeed in this sinful world when we are trusting in you. And we know there’s coming a day when sin will be no more. We will not find ourselves in these circumstances anymore.
We will never find ourselves in these circumstances again. The old will be gone. The new will become when we are with you, when you return in a new Heaven and a new Earth. You wipe every tear from our eyes and sin and death will be no more. We long for that day.
Help us to trust in your presence with us and your strength today. Help us to trust you as long as valleys last. We pray for persevering faith for those who are walking through that right now. Give them persevering faith in your presence and your strength and the success that comes from your hand. In Jesus’ name I pray. 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.
