The Story of Joseph, Part 4 (Genesis 39)

Two important questions…do bad things sometimes happen to good people, and is God able to turn our bad things into good things? Joseph had to deal with a lot of hard stuff in his young life. His bothers hated him. He was thrown into a pit and then sold into Egypt. But Joseph still trusted in God, and God was with him. In Egypt, Joseph became a servant to Potiphar, the captain of the guard. He soon had the job of taking care of everything that belonged to his master. Things were really looking up for Joseph, and it was all because God’s favor was upon him; but now the devil begins to work, and something very sad is about to happen. Joseph was a handsome young man, and Potiphar’s wife was an evil woman. Every time her husband was away, she tried to attract Joseph’s attention; but he resisted the temptation. When she told him to come to her, he refused and said, “My master has withheld nothing from me except you because you are his wife. How could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” One day she grabbed Joseph’s cloak, but he ran out of the house leaving the cloak in her hand. Potiphar’s wife then lied to her husband about Joseph, and she showed him Joseph’s cloak. Of course, Potiphar became very angry. He commanded that Joseph be placed in the prison where the king’s prisoners were kept. That was not fair, and it was really sad. Joseph did what was right, but things turned out bad for him. Do you think God saw what happened? Do you think God will be with Joseph in prison? Will God still turn his bad things into good things?