Tough times are nothing new. Whether in your personal life or in the general troubled times in the world, a common gripe is, “Where is God in this mess?”

Whether or not we see Him, we can be sure He’s right there on His throne. We can also be sure we matter to Him. Remember, God knows the end from the beginning. He will sometimes allow turmoil because the bumpy road may be the only way to get to the final destiny. It also might be the only way to get our attention. Pride may get in the way, and we don’t hear His voice leading us. Instead of following His lead, we do things our own way, which never works out for the best. When that happens, God allows our misdeeds to serve as lessons that mold us.

“But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive” (Genesis 50:19).

Let’s take a look now at the story of Jacob’s twelve sons. The sons were a bit unruly. Their sibling rivalry probably came from Jacob having sons from 4 different women. Ten of those boys brought much trouble to Jacob, but not Joseph. He was Jacob’s favorite and was a bit spoiled. Joseph was the son of the woman Jacob loved, which was the reason behind the favoritism.

God knew there would be a drought, and His chosen people needed protection, so He allowed things to occur which would eventually prove to be fortunate. The older sons were away tending the flocks, and Jacob sent Joseph to check on them.

“And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him” (Genesis 37:18).

They despised their younger brother. Only Reuben stood up for him and said not to kill Joseph but throw him into a pit. They decided to sell him to a group of Midianites. Joseph was sold to them for twenty pieces of silver, and off he went to Egypt. The brothers had taken a special coat that Jacob had given to Joseph, dipped it in goat’s blood, and told Jacob they had found the coat. Jacob was heartsick at the thought that Joseph had been killed by a wild animal. Jacob mourned for many days. If only Jacob could have seen beyond his grief and trusted God to have a greater plan, he may have found some comfort.

“And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, and captain of the guard” (Genesis 37:36).

This would prove to be a blessing. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

When things look bleak, remember those words, and remember to love God.

Jacob’s sons continued to disgrace him, but Joseph’s life was better than he could have hoped for. “And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian” (Genesis 39:2).

Joseph may have been spoiled by Jacob, but he had also been taught to honor God. Even though he was in a land where pagan gods were worshiped, Joseph only served God Almighty. Potiphar saw that the God Joseph served allowed everything Joseph did to prosper. We can learn from that. No matter where we live, if we honor Jesus, others will see our faith.

“And Joseph found grace in his sight and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand” (Genesis 39:4).

Potiphar gave Joseph, a slave, a high honor. From that time on, the LORD blessed Potiphar’s house because of Joseph.

Things seemed to be good for Joseph, but Satan always wants to make trouble for anyone who serves God Almighty. In Joseph’s case, Potiphar’s wife took a liking to Joseph and tried to seduce him. Joseph refused her advances, and she wasn’t pleased. She continued trying to seduce him, and he continued to refuse. Eventually, she accused Joseph of trying to rape her, and Joseph was sent to prison.

Where was God in all this trouble? “But the LORD was with Joseph and shewed him mercy and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison” (Genesis 39:21).

Joseph probably couldn’t see any great plan of God in his life, but he still did his best for those in authority. In this case, the keeper of the prison put Joseph over all the other prisoners. Once again, under Joseph’s hand, all went well. Eventually, the king’s butler and baker managed to get thrown into the prison. One night, each had a dream. They both thought their dream was prophetic, and Joseph said he would interpret the dreams. Joseph said the butler’s dream showed he would be released from prison and returned to his position in Pharaoh’s house. Joseph asked the butler to remember him when he was restored. The baker’s dream wasn’t so happy. The baker would be hung, and birds would eat his flesh.

All of this might seem insignificant, but these dreams, as interpreted by Joseph, came true. The butler did remember Joseph and his ability to interpret dreams, but only after two years had passed.

Pharaoh had dreams that upset him. He dreamed of seven fat cows and seven skinny cows. The fat cows fed in the meadow, but the skinny cows ate the fat cows. Then he dreamt of a stalk of corn with seven ears on it. Then seven thin ears also grew and devoured the healthy ears. Pharaoh wanted to know what the dreams meant. None of the magicians of Egypt could give a good answer.

“Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh saying, I do remember my faults this day: Pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me in ward in the captain of the guard’s house, both me and the chief baker: and we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; each man according to the interpretation of his dream. And there was with us a young man, an Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did interpret. And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged” (Genesis 41:9-13).

During those two years, did Joseph wonder, “Where is God”? Instead of feeling sorry for himself or getting mad at God, Joseph just kept on serving the LORD. So should it be with us. We may think God has forgotten us, but if we continue to serve Him faithfully, we will eventually understand that He’s always been with us.

Joseph was taken from prison and led to Pharaoh. When Pharaoh told him that he had heard Joseph could understand dreams, Joseph showed no false pride but gave glory to God. “And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace” (Genesis 41:16).

The dreams were told, and Joseph interpreted the dreams as a warning about a coming famine. There would be seven good years followed by seven years of famine. God was showing Pharaoh what would soon happen. Joseph went on to tell Pharaoh that he needed to plan for the seven years of famine by choosing a man to oversee storing grain so that when the famine hit, they wouldn’t starve.

“And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?” (Genesis 41:38).

Joseph had faithfully served God, and now even Pharaoh recognized the Spirit of God in Joseph. God always knows the bigger picture. There was a bigger reason for all of this than protecting a pagan nation.

I wonder how many times Joseph had felt as if God had abandoned him. God hadn’t. In fact, Joseph had an important reason to be where he was. He would save God’s chosen people. Because Joseph did all things to honor God, everyone recognized God in him. Now, Joseph was second only to Pharaoh in power. Joseph had learned humility, and that power didn’t go to his head. He continued to do his best.

“And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt” (Genesis 41:46).

He accomplished a lot in thirty years, and all was for God’s glory. The interpretation of Pharaoh’s dreams was correct, but because Egypt was prepared, they had more than enough food to help other countries.

“And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands” (Genesis 41:57).

Are you beginning to see that God was with Joseph and had His hand over his life? God foresaw everything, and Joseph was the one chosen to save nations.

The wonders don’t stop there. Jacob and his family were also hit hard by the famine. He had heard that Egypt had corn to sell and sent Joseph’s ten older brothers to buy some. Pharaoh had changed Joseph’s name to an Egyptian name, Zaphnathpaaneah, which means “treasury of the glorious rest.” When the brothers came to buy the food, they didn’t recognize their brother after so many years, and his Egyptian name was unrecognizable. Joseph was shocked to see them and didn’t make his identity known right away. He did get even with them a bit, but eventually, he had a feast prepared for them.

When Joseph entered to join them at the feast, he asked about Jacob, then saw his brother Benjamin, whom Joseph insisted be brought to Egypt. He had to leave the room in tears. Joseph was full of emotion. Had he felt anger towards the ten who had sold him to slavery? Seeing Benjamin was overwhelming. The next things that happened are very complicated. Joseph gave them food but planted a cup in Benjamin’s sack. He said that Benjamin was a thief and was to be his slave. They begged for Benjamin to be set free, admitted the evil they had done to Joseph, and said it would be too much for their father to lose another son.

Joseph had enough. He sent all of his servants out, then revealed his true identity to his brothers. It was a very touching family reunion. Joseph is a great example of seeing God’s hand working in circumstances that seem bad.

“And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life. For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest. And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and He hath made me a father to pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt” (Genesis 45:4-8).

God used Joseph to preserve the nation of Israel, and the whole world has been blessed. It was through that nation that Jesus Christ, the Messiah, was born.

When trouble comes your way, do you question God or get angry with Him?

As we read about Joseph, we can clearly see God’s hand leading all the way. We don’t always see how troubles in our own life can possibly work for good, but if God is honored, you can be assured that God is working everything for good. You might ask, “Where is God” as a pandemic is destroying lives. Where is God as the US abandons Afghanistan, and we watch as pure evil comes to power with people being tortured and killed? I have no idea what good can come out of it, but I do know that God hasn’t turned away.

Prophecy is moving forward, and it won’t be long until God calls all Christians Home in the Rapture. Put your faith in Him today, and honor Him in all you do. Even if you question “Where is God,” if you believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, you can rest assured that God is with you in all things.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com

ron@straitandnarrowministry.com

All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed.

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When you were a child, were you given chores to do in order to earn your allowance? Most people learn at a young age that you need to work for what you have. As a person grows and matures, a job is necessary to provide wages to buy food, clothing, and shelter. If you haven’t learned that principle, then you need to. It’s Biblical to work to earn a living.

When Paul wrote to the people in Thessalonica, he encouraged them to follow his example of behavior. They were to behave in an orderly fashion, not keep company with brothers who weren’t walking in the way of the Lord, and they weren’t to live on handouts. The example Paul and his friends had given was that of hard-working men who earned their living.

“For when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10).

Some people can’t work because of physical limitations, but Paul was talking to people who wouldn’t work.

There is a time when you shouldn’t work hard to earn something. That’s when you’re working at sin. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

It’s easy to look around and see the suffering that sin leaves. Bars are filled with people who are there seeking enjoyment but end up with health issues because our bodies aren’t made to be drenched in alcohol. Marriages are destroyed because when under the influence of too much alcohol, it’s easy to make poor decisions and go home with the wrong person. Instead of going to the local bar to find friends, why not join a local congregation to worship the Lord? Your entire family is welcome there, and you’ll be encouraged to honor your marriage by honoring God.

Let’s look at a likely wage for the sin of drunkenness. You’ve been to the bar, and at closing time, you stagger to your car. As your eyes begin to focus, you finally find your keys and begin driving home. While driving, you have a hard time staying in your lane and are going too fast. You swerve into the path of a young couple on their way to the hospital because their first baby is about to be born. The wreck is horrible. The young husband is killed immediately, but the wife lingers between life and death long enough for their baby to be born. You survive, but the reality of the wages of the sin you embrace will stay with you for the rest of your life.

“Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise” (Proverbs 20:1). How hard did you have to work to earn the wage of death?

There are many sins aside from drunkenness that a person has to work at. For instance, if you are friends with a crowd that likes to shoplift, your conscience will hurt if you know that taking what belongs to others is a sin. You may have to work at ignoring your conscience in order to keep those friends. Question: If you’re a Christian, why are you interested in cultivating friendships with people who willingly sin?

Many people lie in order to get government benefits, which is a sin. “Quench not the Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 5:19). If you’re a Christian, the Holy Spirit will draw you away from sin, but if you plug your spiritual ears enough, you just can’t hear Him.

Sin separates us from God. This separation came from Adam when he ate the forbidden fruit. He made a choice to reject God’s rules and follow the voice of Satan. God was very clear in telling Adam not to eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:17).

There was plenty of food for Adam to eat, so eating that forbidden fruit wasn’t necessary to survive. When God made Eve from Adam, it was Adam who should have made it clear to her what God said.

Men, do you lead your family closer to God, or do you let them find their own way to God? I hope you’re the strong spiritual leader of your family.

Adam loved Eve, and from the conversation she had with Satan in the Garden, it’s clear that Adam had mentioned God’s rule to her. Satan always twists God’s truth by lying to us. Eve made her first mistake by allowing herself to be in a position that Satan could tempt her to break God’s rule. Never compromise God’s word because Satan is right there to lead you to sin and death. Eve ate the fruit, then Adam ate. Adam’s sin brought death upon the entire creation. The wage of Adam’s sin brought physical and spiritual death and separation from God. Eternal damnation instead of eternal life.

I often wonder how Adam and Eve felt as they watched the result of their sin cause the death of their son Able. They had many children who grew and had children of their own. As the world population grew, so did sin. Idolatry has always been a source of evil, and Satan is behind it. Faith has always been the only way to find salvation, and as the world became filled with wickedness and sin, all creation was corrupted. Fallen angels had mated with human women, causing hybrids that weren’t human and, therefore, unable to be redeemed. Genetic tampering caused all of God’s perfect creation to be corrupted.

“And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth: both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD” (Genesis 6:7-8).

Noah found grace because he hadn’t been corrupted by the sin that gripped the world. God told him to build an ark. In order to keep His creation pure, everything had to be destroyed. God chose Noah, who was genetically pure. “These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God” (Genesis 6:9).

The perfection found in Noah wasn’t his lack of sin; he had a sin nature just like others, but he was “tamim,” a Hebrew word meaning “without blemish,” “without spot.” The same word is used in Exodus to describe the Passover Lamb, whose blood would save the Israelites from death and allow them to be set free from slavery.

Noah was obedient, and even though he had no idea what rain was, he set about building an ark. When a person is obedient to God, things always go better. While the world laughed at him, he and his sons were obedient to God. And when the rain came, Noah, his wife, his sons, and their wives were safe inside the Ark along with the animals God sent. Judgment would come, but Noah (a type of Israel) would make it safely through the Judgment. Prior to God’s judgment, Noah’s great-grandfather had been Raptured. “And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him” (Genesis 5:24). Enoch is a picture-type of Christians who will be Raptured prior to God’s judgment in the Tribulation.

If death is upon all of us because of Adam’s sin, and the wages of sin is death, what hope do we have? Our hope is found through faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3).

There is only one way to break the bond of working for the wages of sin. Admit that you’re a sinner bound for eternity in the lake of fire that burns forever. Then place your faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. There is no other way to find eternal life than through faith. There are no wages to earn the gift of salvation because you cannot work for it. It’s a gift from God. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8).

As with any gift, you should be grateful to the Giver. The gift is free to you; all you have to do is accept it. If that gift means anything to you, changes in your lifestyle should begin to take place. God’s love should replace the anger, pride, and sin ruling your life; Jesus should be your example. The gift He gave you cost Him everything. Live for Him, and sin will lose its hold on you.

Sin comes from Satan. Just as that liar tempted Eve by twisting God’s words, he will come after you. Arm yourself with God’s word, and don’t listen to lies. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour: whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world” (1 Peter 5:8-9).

Sin is everywhere in this world, and temptation to sin is in front of Christians just as it’s in front of non-believers. That’s why we need to always be on guard and only obey Scripture.

What if we fail? What if we have a weak moment and yield to the sin that once ruled our life? “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

Jesus is always willing to forgive, but that isn’t the green light to sin as much as you can so He can forgive you more. If you proudly hold onto your sin because you’ve been forgiven, then you need to be sure you sincerely repented. Repent means to change your mind about sin. Sin can be addicting, and it isn’t always easy to give it up. When temptation enters your mind, don’t allow it to stay there.

“Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5).

Turn to Jesus. Pick up your Bible and read Scripture. Replace Satan’s lies with God’s truth.

Are you tired of living a life of sin and earning the wages that come from rejecting Christ? Faith in Jesus is the only way for your burden of sin to be removed. Ask Him now for His free gift and accept it. He paid a huge price for it, but it’s free for the asking.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com

ron@straitandnarrowministry.com

PLEASE NOTE: Friends, I am having some trouble with my email. For some reason, my Inbox is not allowing any emails to come in. If you have written to me in the last few weeks and I haven’t responded, I apologize. Until I get this problem solved, please email me at nathele@embarqmail.com.

All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed.

If you’d like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries, just drop me an email and let me know.