A Green-light Life

 “But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison…because the LORD was with him; and whatever he did, the LORD made it prosper.” Genesis 39:21, 23b

We have this name in my family that has been around for years which has been assigned to me. There is a road near our home that has a ton of traffic lights from end to end. My husband would always get every red light it seemed while going down that road. Many times, I would get all green lights so he started calling me ‘green-light.’ Many things he experiences seem to have a red-light outcome with heightened frustration, and many experiences I have seem to go pretty smoothly…hence, the green-light name. Joseph’s life continued to be red-light as he was thrown into prison after surviving the pit, the purchase and becoming the property of Pharaoh. Portiphar's wife told her husband that Joseph initiated intimate time with her but she cried out for help. Joseph was immediately locked up for an indefinite period of time. He went from palace to prison as an innocent man, but the author of Genesis wanted to make clear that we understood that ‘the LORD was with Joseph.’ He placed these bookends of truth in our passage with a gem of encouragement in between. In the middle of God’s presence was His mercy…His favor…His prosperity for Joseph. In the middle of his red-light, God’s green-light shown within his horrible circumstances. Although Joseph was living confined to difficult circumstances, God’s kindness and favor was increasingly evident.

‘Over the years, I’ve realized there’s a difference between God’s kindness and His deliverance…all we want is for God to deliver us. But sometimes He chooses to keep us where we are so we can learn the blessing of His presence and His specific kindness to us in our trials. When that day of deliverance finally does come, we’ll be ready for what’s on the other side.’ Finding God Faithful, Kelly Minter, p. 47. 

Like Joseph, sometimes God must take us lower to bless us and raise us higher. Whether we are in the low valleys or on the high mountains God remains the same. His presence never leaves us and His power is always with us. ‘God often uses suffering to make us fit for the dreams He has for us…Here we discover that blessing and suffering are not mutually exclusive. In fact, sometimes our greatest blessings will be found in our deepest dungeons’ P. 49.