Stripped: Trusting God When He Allows Others to Hurt YouSample

As we know, in addition to God’s blessing and prosperity, Joseph was handsome and well-built, which caught the attention of Potiphar’s wife, who was more persistent than telephone scammers. Day after day she insisted Joseph slept with her, but he refused, which obviously did not sit well with the woman. It was time to be more aggressive, enter plan B.

When none of the other servants were inside the house and she was alone with Joseph, “She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left the cloak in her hand and ran out of the house” (Genesis 39:12, NIV).

STRIPPED (AGAIN)

It shocked me to find Joseph stripped for a second time. Except in this instance, the stripping was voluntary. He stripped himself in order to honor God and do what was right.

Once again, partially naked.

No clothing, no covering.

Caught once more in the whirlpool of someone else’s choices, he is forced to give up his slave’s cloak. It was no ornate robe, but at least he had something to wear. Surely, God would deliver him and the truth would be in his favor, right? Not exactly.

Potiphar’s wife was furious! Scorned and humiliated, she took revenge for his unbearable rejection. She lied about what happened and accused Joseph of trying to rape her. And just like that, without a trial or investigation into the matter, he is sent to jail.

Demoted from slave to prisoner.

Wasn’t God supposed to defend him if he had done the right thing? Now what?

From favored son ——— to slave ——— to prisoner

From ornate robe ——— to cloak ——— to prison uniform

You may have been in a similar situation. You did what was right, but still came out losing. You did what was right for the company, yet lost the job. Maybe you were sued over something you did not do and were declared guilty. Or maybe you helped someone, and they took advantage of the opportunity to steal from you. You chose correctly, but still got the wrong answer.

How do we react when things get worse, even when we do the right thing? When is God going to answer? Is He going to come through or will we just have to accept more stripping and pain?

It’s harder to keep the faith the longer we wait for a turning point that never comes. Joseph had more adjusting to get used to, although it seems he wasn’t relocated far, since the prison was also in the house of Potiphar, who was the captain of the guard.

With no attorney to plead his case and no one to visit him (if they allowed visitations), he is utterly alone in a foreign country, thrown once more into a pit where many strong men would give up and hope to die. Despite being innocent (which Potiphar probably knew but wouldn’t admit), Joseph was stripped of his freedom and, by any human understanding, of any expectation for a bright, positive future. If his chances of marrying and having a family as a slave were slim, here they were absolutely impossible.

Joseph’s resolve endured the hardest of days. He was determined to honor God and walk righteously, trusting and hoping for a miracle. Those decisions and God’s favor and presence in his life were so evident, he was entrusted with the task of administering the prisoners and everything that was done in the prison.

Delays, whether they are due to waiting or to voluntary stripping that leads us to unexpected detours on the journey to the destiny God has for us, can be a dichotomous place to dwell in. If you’ve checked-in to these temporary residences, you can understand the contradictory nature of the emotions that ensue. Some days can be as dark and despairing as an Egyptian dungeon, while the next may be brimming with expectation of what God could do with such a story to bring glory to Himself in the blink of an eye.

We pray for that day, we yearn for it...and for those who choose to trust God regardless of the disillusionment of hope deferred, we anticipate it. In these delays and detours, God’s mercies (such as giving Joseph favor and a position with purpose) fill an aching heart that has lost its dreams with gratitude. His life is proof that you can be blessed in the land of your suffering.

SURVIVING THE DELAYS

As I compared similarities between Joseph’s journey and mine, I uncovered how God wanted me to face the meantime, the waiting, the delays. While I wait for Him to redeem the suffering for good in my life, as He promises to those who love Him (Romans 8), I am not meant to disconnect from the process and sit in a dark corner sulking. Have I done that? Absolutely! I have a minor in pity parties, but the Spirit kindly reminds me that my home is not in the desert or the cave.

Focusing on the present with expectation towards the future releases us from the power the past wants to exert over us. Focusing on hurt and reliving the brokenness over and over, quickly leads back to the pit, and pits can become places of refuge if you are in them long enough.

God’s favor, even if it seems small (Joseph was a prisoner, a favored one, but a prisoner nonetheless), is evidence He is still working. His promises are anchors we can safely cling to in raging storms. When God is busy working behind the scenes, our part is to pray, trust, and clothe ourselves.