BUT GOD
Acts 7:9-10 NKJV
“And the patriarchs, becoming envious, sold Joseph into Egypt. But God was with him and delivered him out of all his troubles, and gave him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house.
This entire chapter is dedicated to the words of Stephen before the Jewish council and of his death. His message is an excellent account of the history of Israel. His message also was a serious rebuke of the religious leaders of that day. The end result of Stephen’s message was that the people were so mad they rushed him and stoned him to death. But even in death, Stephen had the last word. He saw a vision of heaven opened and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And before he died, Stephen asked the Lord to not charge the ones who were killing him with this sin. The sermon is amazing, and Stephen’s bigness of heart is just as amazing.
Our verses for today are regarding the story of Joseph. He was the young man who was one of the twelve sons of Jacob. The twelve sons are where we get the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel. Because of envy, Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery in Egypt. Joseph came from a very contentious, toxic environment, and now he was a slave in a foreign country. However, there was a phrase Stephen used that gave us the story behind the story: But God was with him.
That one phrase makes all the difference in the world. God was with him, not just in a theoretical sense but active in the life of Joseph. God was with Joseph and delivered him out of all his troubles. If you know the story of Joseph, that may sound a bit odd. Delivered out of all his troubles. Being sold as a slave is definitely trouble, but God delivered him out of slavery. Joseph was a slave, but did not wind up a slave. Being thrown into prison is trouble. But God delivered him out of prison. Joseph went through trouble, but God was with him and delivered him.
And God was with Joseph and gave him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh. God did for Joseph what he could not do on his own. God gave Joseph supernatural wisdom and such favor with Pharaoh that Joseph was made second in command over the entire empire of Egypt. Egypt was the world power at that time in history. God had a plan for Joseph that involved the salvation of multitudes of people, including the very ones who sold him into slavery. No one could have even conceived of something so outrageous, but God.
APPLICATION
We can learn from this account of Joseph. When we are walking with God and He has the rightful place in our lives, we are going to wind up in a good place. God still knows how to deliver us out of all our troubles. This doesn’t mean we will not face challenging times and troubles. It does mean God can get us out.
And God has not lost His ability to give us favor and wisdom in the lives of those that we stand before. And when God gives favor and wisdom, we are lifted above any place we could have achieved on our own.
So when you think you are stuck and nothing will ever change, remember But God.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, You are still God and still doing great things, not just for biblical characters but for Your people today. Thank You for Your presence and power in my life.