Have you ever asked yourself, “What in the world am I doing here?”
Detoured
Sometimes it seems like our lives are on hold. We stand between a rock and a hard place. Our circumstances are anything but appealing. In fact, there is nothing we can see that is good about our circumstances. Our pathway to success has been detoured!
In Genesis 40:14–15, Joseph found himself in a strange land amidst circumstances that seemed unfavorable. His brothers had sold him into slavery. He had become a servant in Potiphar’s household. Then, just when things started going well, he was accused of a crime he did not commit and was thrown in jail.
Derailed
You may have had a time when you finished your last car payment, the car was a few years old, it still looked good, it was officially yours — and then it broke down with $1,000.00 in repairs. Maybe you’ve paid off your bills and have opened a savings account, when something came along — an emergency, an unforeseen expense — and derailed your saving plans, placing them on hold.
Even though Christians do not believe in luck, sometimes there is a tiny thought that enters our minds, causing us to believe if we didn’t have “bad luck,” we wouldn’t have any luck at all! Is it wrong to feel forsaken under the circumstances?
Elevated
If you’ve never read Joseph’s story, this would be a great time to read it. It begins in Genesis 39. In 40:14–15, Joseph tried to get the cupbearer to remember him. He was tired of his situation and thought he would put the proverbial bug in the cupbearer’s ear so he would remember him when he stood before the king. But the cupbearer forgot. It wasn’t a few weeks or months that went by, but two years, before he remembered.
God caused the cupbearer to remember Joseph not a moment too soon, nor a moment too late. Even though the cupbearer forgot, God remembered. Through a series of circumstances created by God, Joseph was elevated to a position he would never have expected possible.
Hopeful
How do we know we will eventually get through our similar circumstances? How do we know we are soon to see the clear shining of sunlight after the rainstorms in our lives? It is at those times when through all of our frustrations, something positive happens in our situation that we know could have only been done by God. Maybe it is an unexpected check in the mail that was customized to fit the exact amount of our debt. Maybe it was a friend who repaired the broken furnace that was going to cost us a few thousand dollars to replace, or the sudden peace we received during a storm that provided reassurance that God was still there.
Maybe you are having a Joseph period of time in your life and there may not be any light at the end of your tunnel. Remember God is still in control. In those times of discouragement when you find yourself going through seemingly unbearable circumstances, just remember you serve a God who is able to do above and beyond all that you think or imagine! (Ephesians 3:20)
Article by Dr. L.W. Edwards
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