Faith in Troubled Times (Pt. 3)

 

They saw him from afar, and before he came near to them they conspired against him to kill him. They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer. Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. Then we will say that a fierce animal has devoured him, and we will see what will become of his dreams.” But when Reuben heard it, he rescued him out of their hands, saying, “Let us not take his life.” And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him”— that he might rescue him out of their hand to restore him to his father. So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the robe of many colors that he wore. And they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it. (Genesis 36:18-24 ESV).

 

It didn’t take long for the hatred of Joseph’s brothers to lead to action. They seized him and would have killed him had it not been for the intervention of Reuben. He convinces them to throw Joseph into a well. His reasoning was that this would be suffering enough and his body would likely never be found. Tucked into this story is a wonderful example of the providence of God. Notice the last verse of our reading: And they took him and threw him into a pit (cistern). The pit was empty; there was no water in it” (v. 24). God ensured Joseph’s survival, using Reuben, an empty cistern, and even Judah’s cruel-heartedness to work out His plans for the family of Jacob. Later, Judah would even suggest they could make money by selling Joseph to the passing caravan. They could be rid of him without having to kill him. Greed and hatred sealed the deal; however, this was merely a part of the bigger plan of God.

 

I have been “in the pit” enough to recognize the pain of rejection and hatred at the hands of others. Unfortunately, it happens all too often to all of us. The circumstances of life seem to impossibly difficult, our dreams seem to die, and we feel abandoned. In fact, we may even bemoan the fact that we survived the initial attack instead of mercifully being killed. I have also lived long enough to realize the hand of God was working for my good in those “pits.”

 

The key is trust. Trust in the plan and purpose of God that is motivated by His undeniable love for us. During most of those times for me personally, I found it difficult to do that. I wanted better than I was getting… by a lot. I questioned the intention of God. However, as soon as I recognized that God knew what He was doing and simply trusted, peace and purpose returned. It is about faith. Believe in your good Father.