by Leon

Part 1

We often go through tribulation and ask ourselves “Why me?” We wonder why God would allow us to go through something not particularly comfortable, for our spirit, or for our life. In our natural mind, we instinctively tend to doubt God. After all, due to the first sin from the first man (Adam), we are fallen creatures prone to sin and doubt.

^“The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick; who can understand it?”- Jeremiah 17:9

Yet, through Jesus, our relationship with God can be restored, and our spirit can be made right with God. We may be prone to sin due to Adam, but through Jesus, we don’t have to be. Through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, we can instead be prone to righteousness.

 ^“Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification.” – Romans 5:12-16 

Whenever we go through a tough time, we can’t help but ask ourselves, “Why me?” We can’t help but wonder why God would allow us to go through something so uncomfortable. Because we cannot fathom His reasoning, we instinctively doubt Him.

However, if we rely on our spiritual mind rather than our natural one, we can find confidence in God. Joseph is one of my favorite characters in the Bible. He is put through incredibly hard circumstances but despite it, he never doubts the sovereign will of God. He is sold to Egypt as a slave, despite this, he continues to serve God faithfully. God blesses him and he becomes 2^nd head of a very wealthy household.

The head of this household had a wife that desired Joseph. Yet, Joseph would not betray his faith by being with this married woman. In spite of his actions, she lied and said he assaulted her. Joseph was put into another terrible circumstance – prison. Even still, Joseph served God faithfully and God continued to bless him. Joseph was put in charge of this prison. One day Joseph interpreted the dreams of a prisoner who would later be proven innocent and put back in Pharaoh’s court. This man would never forget Joseph and when Pharaoh himself required a dream interpretation, Joseph would be summoned.

God revealed the dream and it’s meaning to Joseph – a famine was going to sweep the world. Because of this prior warning, Egypt was spared,  and so were the Israelites. Pharaoh saw that God was upon Joseph and made him 2^nd only to himself.

Joseph could have only looked at his present circumstance and asked why me? But he trusted in God. How often do we later find out a bad situation we were in worked in the end to our favor and the favor of others? That is God’s promise to us as believers no matter how harsh a situation may be, God will work it for our own good and His purpose. Have faith even in the darkness He is at work. 

^“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose”- Romans 8:28