Potipher “bought him”—Genesis 39:1. Things don’t always go as planned. Joseph’s life plan wasn’t working out. No longer did he enjoy favored son status of a landowner. Now he was owned. He was a slave in Egypt…a foreign and faraway land. If that wasn’t bad enough, his new owner was the captain of Pharoah’s secret service detail of all people. Joseph was not exactly upwardly mobile anymore.
No Average Joe Series
Despite Joseph’s nosedive toward nothingness, the Bible says, “he became a successful man”—Genesis 39:2. How is it possible to win during a losing season? Let’s call it the X-Factor. The text says simply, “And the Lord was with Joseph”—verse 2.
You may not have exceptional talent. Your circumstances may not move in your favor. The people around you may not cheer for you. But when the Lord is with you, success is closer than you think.
We learn valuable lessons about the Lord’s presence from this No Average Joe…
The Lord’s presence makes a difference.
When we read the Lord was “with” Joseph, it’s clear the Lord was more than just in the same room. Yes, God is everywhere (omnipresent if you like big words), but Joseph experienced the active involvement of God in his life. In verse 3, we even read “the Lord caused all that he did to prosper in his hand.” When God is “with” you, He affects real change in your life.
The Lord’s presence knows no boundaries.
If God is everywhere, that means He is where you are. Egypt was far from Joseph’s home. Egypt was unknown to Joseph. And Joseph was unknown to Egypt. The God of Israel was not revered there, yet God showed up. And wherever you are today, God knows and He shows.
The Lord’s presence gives personal attention.
It may seem like a small thing to us now, but the text says the Lord was “with Joseph.” God was not just with anyone. He was with Joseph, son of Israel…the dreamer Joseph…the rejected Joseph…the slave Joseph. Whoever you are, whatever your past or your present, the Lord reaches you with His undivided attention.
The Lord’s presence extends general grace.
Joseph’s success was not just his own. Potipher, a pagan, enjoyed the benefits of the Lord’s presence in Joseph’s life. We read in verse 5, “the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house on account of Joseph.” Our personal relationship with the Lord does not isolate us. Instead it empowers us to serve others with success.
Despite rejection and major life loss, Joseph found success. But before we assume God gives His people a Midas touch, remember Joseph was still a slave hundreds of miles from home. And no relief from that reality was in sight.
What is clear is this: the presence of the Lord (not a positive attitude, new skills, hard work, or even belief) is the X-Factor that turns even our most difficult circumstances into real wins. If you are in Christ, the Lord has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you”—Hebrews 13:5b. And that is more than enough to give you great success even in your season of loss.
How has The X-Factor of God’s presence strengthened you during a season of loss? Comment below.
