… but God will… - Week 1
Week 1 Recap:
Joseph’s Pit
Introduction
Life often feels like a series of unexpected turns. We pray for one outcome and watch another unfold. We hope for clarity yet find ourselves waiting in uncertainty. In those moments, a question rises to the surface. Will God act? The deeper truth is not simply whether God will act, but whether we will trust Him while He does.
The story of Joseph in the book of Genesis gives us a living picture of surrender, patience, and the steady hand of God working through betrayal, injustice, and delay. His life invites us to reconsider our own stories and to see them through a different lens.
When Waiting Feels Like Losing
Joseph begins as the favored son, full of dreams and promise. Yet in Genesis 37, jealousy rises in the hearts of his brothers. Their resentment grows so strong that they first consider killing him. Instead, they throw him into a pit and sell him into slavery. From the outside, it looks like defeat. It looks like evil winning. It looks like the end of a dream. Many of us know that feeling. Doors close. Opportunities disappear. Plans collapse. In those moments, we are tempted to take control, to force outcomes, or to give in to frustration. Waiting feels like weakness. Trust feels passive. But Joseph does not surrender to bitterness. He continues forward with faithfulness, even when his circumstances argue against hope.
The Slow Work of Providence
Joseph’s journey does not improve overnight. He serves faithfully in Egypt and rises in responsibility, only to be falsely accused and thrown into prison. Again, he waits. Yet even in prison, God is at work. Joseph interprets dreams. Doors begin to open. Eventually he is brought before Pharaoh and given authority over Egypt’s resources during a coming famine. The very one who was sold as a slave now oversees provision for nations. Providence often moves quietly. It unfolds in layers. What looks like delay is often preparation. What feels like confinement is often positioning. God’s will is not hurried by panic or strengthened by our attempts to control it. It unfolds according to His wisdom.
Rewriting the Narrative
Years later, Joseph stands face to face with the brothers who betrayed him. They fear revenge. They expect judgment. Instead, Joseph speaks words that reshape the entire story. In Genesis 50:20 he declares, “You planned evil against me. God planned it for good to bring about the present result, the survival of many people.” Joseph does not deny the evil. He does not minimize the pain. But he refuses to let evil have the final word.
We all carry narratives about what has been done to us. We replay conversations. We rehearse injuries. We define ourselves by betrayal or loss. Joseph shows us another way. He sees God’s sovereignty above human intention. The question becomes personal. Can we look at our own stories and say the same? Can we trust that what was meant to harm us does not escape the purposes of God?
From Victim to Vessel
When we cling to bitterness, we remain trapped in the pit long after we have been lifted out. When we trust God, our pain becomes a platform for purpose. Joseph’s suffering positions him to preserve life. The famine is real. The hunger is severe. Yet because of what he endures, countless people survive. God does not waste suffering. He redeems it. He transforms it into provision for others. This shift moves us from victim to vessel. Instead of asking why this happened to me, we begin asking how God might use this through me. The pain that once defined us becomes the very place where grace flows outward.
The Greater Story of Redemption
Joseph’s life points beyond itself. The rejected son who is thrown down and later raised up foreshadows a greater redemption. Jesus Christ is rejected by His own people. He is betrayed for silver. He is lifted up on a cross and laid in a tomb. Yet what is meant for evil becomes the means of salvation. Through His resurrection, Jesus becomes the true bread of life, offering eternal sustenance to all who come to Him. Just as Joseph provides grain that preserves physical life, Christ provides Himself to preserve eternal life. The pattern remains the same. God turns intended destruction into deliverance. He brings life from what appears to be final loss.
Closing
Every story has a you. Someone who hurt you. Something that went wrong. A moment that changed everything. But every story also has a greater Author. Joseph teaches us to say, with steady faith, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good. That confession does not erase the wound, but it restores hope. It anchors us in sovereignty instead of resentment. Today the invitation stands. Trust God in the waiting. Release control. Allow Him to rewrite your narrative. What feels like a pit may become the place where purpose begins. What seems like loss may become the channel of life for many. God is still working. And He is not finished with your story.
