Life doesn't always go according to our plans. We can be one phone call or text message away from our world falling apart. Even when we think we're on the mountain and everything is good, circumstances can change in an instant.

Is hardship a sign that God has abandoned me?

Joseph's story in Genesis teaches us a powerful truth: hardship doesn't mean you've fallen out of God's good graces. Joseph was his father Jacob's favorite son, given a special coat that showed his favored status. Yet despite being loved by his father, Joseph experienced tremendous hardship because his brothers hated him.

Joseph's brothers were so jealous that they plotted to kill him, eventually throwing him into a pit and selling him into slavery. From there, Joseph was falsely accused by Potiphar's wife and thrown into prison. His life went from bad to worse, certainly not according to any plan Joseph would have made for himself. 

Does God cause our suffering? 

When people go through difficult times, we often try to comfort them by saying, "It's all part of God's plan." While well-intentioned, this isn't always helpful or accurate.

A better perspective is to say: "God has a plan for that."

You may be experiencing hardship not because of anything you did, but because of choices other people have made. Joseph wasn't in the pit because he made a mistake; he was there because his brothers made a choice to put him there.

What you're experiencing right now may not have been part of God's original plan for your life, but God definitely has a plan for how to work through your current situation.

How does God work in our hardships?

The fascinating thing about Joseph's story is that wherever he found himself, he always rose up:

• Thrown into a pit, he was elevated out of it

• Sold into slavery, he became head of Potiphar's household

• Cast into prison, he was put in charge of all the prisoners

• Finally elevated to second-in-command in all of Egypt

God may not take you out of your situation immediately. We often want Him to move quickly and deliver us from our struggles, but God doesn't always work that way. However, He will make our circumstances bearable by elevating us in the position we find ourselves in.

What if I feel forgotten by God?

After interpreting dreams for Pharaoh's cupbearer and baker in prison, Joseph asked to be remembered when the cupbearer was restored to his position. The Bible then says, "Joseph stayed in prison for two years after that."

It takes more faith to trust God during a prolonged period of hardship than when things are going great. When everything is going well, it's easy to say God is in control. But when you're in extended suffering, that's when it really takes faith to believe God has something better in store.

Even in Joseph's story, there's something notable missing: the voice of God. Despite more chapters being devoted to Joseph than any other patriarch in Genesis, not once does it say "God spoke to Joseph." Sometimes we may be in such a dark place that even God seems silent. In those moments, we must trust that God still has a plan.

How can I find meaning in my suffering?

When Joseph had his first son, he named him Manasseh, saying, "God has made me forget all my trouble." His second son he named Ephraim, saying, "God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering."

Joseph chose not to dwell on his troubles. Instead, he recognized how God had given him peace and made him fruitful even in the midst of suffering.

Later, when Joseph's brothers came to Egypt seeking food during the famine, he had every right to be angry and seek revenge. Instead, he told them: "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good, to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives" (Genesis 50:20).

Life Application

Whatever you're going through right now, remember that God has a plan for that. Your current situation may not be part of God's original design, but He can work through it for your good and the good of others.

This week, I challenge you to:

• Identify your pit: What situation in your life feels like a deep pit right now? Name it specifically.

• Look for elevation: Even if you can't get out of your difficult situation immediately, how might God be elevating you within it? What opportunities for growth or service exist even in this hard place?

• Choose your focus: Like Joseph naming his sons, make a conscious choice about what you'll focus on. Will you dwell on your troubles, or will you look for ways God is making you "fruitful in the land of your suffering"?

• Trust when you can't see: If God seems silent in your situation, remember Joseph. God was working powerfully in his life even when not speaking directly to him.

Ask yourself: Am I waiting for God to change my circumstances, or am I allowing Him to change me within my circumstances? How might God be preparing me, like Joseph, to be part of something bigger than myself?

Remember Jeremiah 29:11: "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."