BUT GOD
Acts 7:9-10 NKJV
9 “And the patriarchs, becoming envious, sold Joseph into Egypt. But God was with him 10 and delivered him out of all his troubles, and gave him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house.
The seventh chapter of Acts is a mini sermon by Stephen. Stephen was one of the men chosen to handle the food distribution. We do not hear of Stephen until the Book of Acts. But the Scripture says that he not only handled the business of food but was a man filled with faith and empowered by the Holy Spirit. God used Stephen to work many miracles among the people. He was handling the natural side of the church mission to feed people, but he was still used by God to work miracles. Once again proving that miracles are of God and He can use who He wants. Miracles are not limited to the twelve apostles.
Anytime God is using someone in a mighty way, it draws attention. And the attention is not always positive. Stephen got crossways with a group of Jewish leaders. These leaders were not able to successfully counter Stephen’s wisdom and the Spirit in which he spoke, so they fabricated a story of Stephen blaspheming God and called him before the council. The seventh chapter is Stephen’s address to the council. He starts with Abraham and recounts the history of Israel. His address is a great outline of Israel’s history up until the times of Solomon. In his speech, Stephen speaks of Joseph in our verses for today.
Joseph was sold into Egypt by his brothers. The brothers were all the sons of Jacob and would later be the heads of Israel’s twelve tribes. But because of envy, they sold Joseph into slavery. And then Stephen says a five word phrase that redefines the events of Joseph’s life: “But God was with him.” There is so much in this short phrase. Sold as a slave, but God was with him. Destined for a life of poverty and heartbreak, but God was with him. And, because God was with him, Joseph’s life was changed.
God delivered Joseph out of all his troubles. But if you know the story of Joseph, you know that a woman falsely accused him of attempted rape, and Joseph was sentenced to prison. The key phrase here is delivered out of all his troubles. This means Joseph went through troubles, but God got him out. Joseph was in prison, but God got him out of prison.
God gave Joseph favor and wisdom in the presence of the king of Egypt. God was with Joseph, and we see God gave him favor and wisdom every step of the way. Everywhere Joseph went, he rose to the top and ran things. He ran the household where he was a slave and then ran the prison. God’s hand and favor made Joseph’s difficult troubles much more bearable. And finally, God gave Joseph favor and wisdom so that Pharaoh made him second in command over the whole nation of Egypt. Stephen gave the glory and the credit to God, his presence in Joseph’s life, and the favor and wisdom that God gave him.
APPLICATION
The reason I wanted to hone in on these two verses is to draw the connection between God being with Joseph and God being with us. Yes, Joseph was faithful to God and conducted himself in a way that honored God. But God was the difference maker in his life. As we put our trust in God and believe that He is with us, He can be the difference maker in our lives as well. God still has wisdom and favor and can enable us to succeed. God with us ensures that we also can be delivered from all our troubles. If God did this for Joseph, His servant, how much more will He do this for us, His children?
PRAYER
Thank You Lord, for Your presence to deliver me from all my troubles. Thank You for Your wisdom and favor that can cause me to exceed my natural talents and abilities. I credit You and give You all the glory.