Joseph’s life demons/”>demonstrates how God can turn suffering into a tool for His greater plan. After being sold into slavery by his brothers (Genesis 37:28), Joseph faced hardship in Egypt. He was falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife and imprisoned despite his innocence (Genesis 39:20). From a human perspective, these events appeared unjust and hopeless. However, Scripture reveals that God was at work in every step.
Genesis 39:21 says:
“But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.”
Even in prison, Joseph’s faithfulness brought responsibility and trust. God’s presence sustained him, and his ability to interpret dreams opened the way for his rise to power. When Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams of the coming famine (Genesis 41:25–32), he was elevated to second in command over Egypt (Genesis 41:41).
Through this position, Joseph stored grain during years of abundance, saving countless lives when famine struck, including his own family. Joseph recognized God’s purpose in his suffering. In Genesis 45:7–8, he told his brothers:
“And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you who sent me here, but God.”
Later, in Genesis 50:20, Joseph summed up the truth:
“But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.”
Joseph’s suffering positioned him to preserve the covenant family and fulfill God’s promises to Abraham. This account teaches that trials are not wasted in the life of a believer. God works through pain, betrayal, and delay to accomplish His perfect plan for His glory and our good.
