Trusting God In Good Times And Bad

Trusting God in Good Times and Bad

Q: Whose lie caused Joseph to be put in prison?

• a. the cupbearer’s
• b. Potiphar’s wife’s
• c. Pharaoh’s

Joseph’s brothers sold him to traders, who took him to Egypt. In Egypt Joseph was sold to Potiphar, the captain of the guard for Pharaoh. (Pharaoh was the king of Egypt.) Joseph ended up in the palace, and God made Joseph successful in everything he did.

This success didn’t go unnoticed. Potiphar put Joseph in charge of his household and everything he owned. Things went well. The household ran smoothly. The crops grew abundantly, and the animals were well cared for.

Potiphar wasn’t the only one who noticed how successful Joseph was. Mrs. Potiphar was watching Joseph closely too. She liked Joseph and wanted to have a relationship with him. Joseph knew this was wrong because Mrs. Potiphar had a husband.

Joseph refused to have a wrong relationship with Mrs. Potiphar, and this made her angry. She was used to getting her own way. One day she grabbed Joseph by his cloak, but he fled, leaving the garment behind. Mrs. Potiphar showed it to her husband. She lied and said Joseph had attacked her.

Potiphar was angry when he saw the cloak and heard his wife’s story. He put Joseph into the jail where the king’s prisoners were held.

Joseph must have wondered why God allowed this, but he didn’t complain or become bitter. He had faith in God and trusted the Lord with his future.

For You

It’s easy to trust God in good times, but it’s not always easy in bad times. When you face problems or are wrongly accused of something, let Joseph be your example. Handle it without complaining or becoming bitter. Watch for God to work.

Answer: b

“That Hebrew slave you’ve brought into our house tried to come in and fool around with me,” she said. “But when I screamed, he ran outside, leaving his cloak with me!”   Genesis 39:17-18

(The Whole Story: Genesis 39)