Have you ever looked back at a difficult situation and realized how it led you to where you are today? Often, in such moments, we don't realize that they might actually be for our good. The challenging circumstances prevent us from seeing beyond them. However, everything that happens to us follows a thread that God weaves into our lives.
Joseph went through quite a few difficult moments. Perhaps we all know his story, but let's briefly recall it. Because he is his father's favorite, his brothers become jealous and conspire against him. They sell him into slavery, and Joseph ends up in the house of Potiphar, the captain of the guards. There, he is valued for his qualities and becomes the manager of the household. It seems that things are improving, but one night, when Potiphar is away, his wife attempts to seduce Joseph. When he refuses her, she accuses him of trying to assault her, and he ends up in prison. The story, however, continues. In prison, Joseph interprets the dreams of the cupbearer and the baker, who at some point share his cell. When Pharaoh has troubling dreams, the cupbearer, now exonerated, remembers Joseph, who is then brought before Pharaoh. After Joseph interprets the dreams, which paint a rather bleak picture of the near future, and offers a solution for the upcoming difficult situation, Pharaoh appoints him as his chief assistant. Thus, Joseph becomes the second most powerful person in Egypt.
A look back would surely make him realize how God led him all along, and this difficult path brought him exactly to where he is. When he reveals himself to his brothers, Joseph tells them, "God sent me ahead of you to preserve a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household, and ruler of all Egypt" (Genesis 45:7-8, emphasis added).
Do not be discouraged in difficult times. God is guiding you through them to lead you somewhere. Trust Him.
*The Biblical quotes are from The Bible, new translation from the original languages © Bulgarian Bible Society 2013