God Is Still with You: Joseph's Story Continues

Hey friends, welcome back to Carpooling with Jesus. I'm Pastor Justin, and maybe you're in the car on the way to school, finishing breakfast, or heading off to practice. I'm so glad you're here. Have you ever had a really bad day? Maybe a friend was mean to you or something unfair happened. Well, today we're talking about Joseph as we march through stories that Jesus would have been taught when he was a kid. And let me tell you, Joseph, he had a really bad day, another really bad day. But even when things went wrong, God was still with him. Let's dive in to today's verse, which is from the book of Genesis chapter 39, verses two through three. It says, the Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes. Now, wait a minute, Joseph, it sounds like he was doing well. Didn't something bad just happen? Well, last time we talked about how Joseph's brothers were really jealous of him. So they made a plan to throw him into a pit and then sold him into slavery in Egypt. Can you imagine how scary that must have been? One minute he's with his family and the next he's in a strange land all alone. But here's the amazing part. God was still with him. Even though he was in a tough situation, he worked hard and did the right thing. He gained the trust of his master in Egypt, and he ended up working in the house of a man named Potiphar. And Potiphar noticed that Joseph was different. Everything Joseph did was successful because God was helping him. So even though Joseph's life didn't go the way he wanted, God was still in control. And guess what? The same is true for you and me. If Jesus was sitting right here with us, I think he'd say something like, my friends, even when things are hard, I'm with you. You may not always understand what's happening, but I see the whole picture. Keep trusting me and I'll take care of you, just like I took care of Joseph. Now, here's the thing, no matter what happens, we can trust that God is with us. Let me tell you about a friend of mine, Max. Max loved baseball and worked really hard at practice every chance he got. He was so excited to play in his first big game, but when the game started, he barely got any time on the field. He felt so left out and wondered, why is this happening? His coach told him to keep working hard, and he did. His extra practice paid off, same with the encouragement he gave his teammates who were on the field. And guess what? The next game, the team needed him. He played really well because he never gave up. Max felt disappointed at first, but in the end, he saw that God had a plan. Just like Joseph, he kept doing the right thing and God took care of him. So friends, if something tough is happening in your life right now, don't forget, God is still with you, just like he was with Joseph. He's with you every single day, no matter where you are, no matter how you're listening, God loves you. Parents, if you love this podcast, send it to some parent friends so they can have great conversations too. Here's a question for you, answer it together before you go on with your day. Can you think of a time when something didn't go your way, but later you saw that God had a plan? Can't wait to see you tomorrow on another episode of Carpooling with Jesus.