Scriptures for Handling the Ups and Downs of Life
I used to think that things in life will become smooth without any hiccups if you are a good Christian. But I came to realize that it was just wishful thinking. The reality is that God wants us to learn how to handle life’s ups and downs.
From Papa down to Pit (Genesis 37:3-5 & Genesis 37:23-25 NLT)
Joseph had the favor of his papa Jacob. He was favorite to the point where his brothers became very seriously dangerously jealous of him. His brothers threw Joseph into the pit. From up, the highly esteemed favorite, love, and affection of his papa, all the way down to the bottom of the pit.
From Pit up to Potiphar (Genesis 39:1-6 NLT)
His brothers decided to sell him to the Ishmaelites instead of letting him die there. God granted Joseph favor with his papa Jacob, and now God was granting Joseph favor with Potiphar, a high-ranking official of the Pharaoh. So, Joseph became the general manager of Potiphar’s business, servants, and property. He became very successful in life.
From Potiphar down to Prisoner (Genesis 39:7-20 NLT)
God highly favors you, yet God allows you to suffer the downs because He has a higher plan for you. Joseph was good-looking, and he had a pleasant personality. He was also righteous. Potiphar’s wife framed Joseph because Joseph didn’t want to satisfy her lust. Potiphar threw Joseph into prison.
From Prisoner up to Prison Keeper (Genesis 39:21-23 NLT)
Even though it was a real downer, taken from Potiphar’s opulent house to a dark, grimy prison, God rereleased His favor upon Joseph. He continued being a successful manager by the blessing of God.You see, even if you are in a tough situation or a bad season, it doesn’t mean God’s favor is not upon you. God’s favor is a very unselfish thing. You can be a blessing to others without self-benefit involved. But your time in life will come.
From Prison Keeper down to Pointlessness (Genesis 40:23 – 41:1 NLT)
How would you feel if you were Joseph if God had revealed to you that the chief butler would be freed and reinstated, but later, when it had happened, you were left abandoned in prison? God used Joseph to encourage the chief butler. But in these two years, circumstances didn’t change for Joseph. The chief butler had forgotten about Joseph.
Related Post: The Bigger Picture
If I were Joseph, I would likely be thinking like this: “God, why give me a great vision for my future but leave me here? Isn’t it better that You didn’t give me a great vision that got my hopes so high up and then leaves me devastated by the extreme opposite in my circumstances? What’s the point in all this?”
From Pointlessness up to Pharaoh (Genesis 41:38-44 & Genesis 42:6 NLT)
In prison, God gave Joseph more dreams. God used Joseph’s gift of dreams to take him out of prison to be the second most powerful man in the whole of Egypt besides Pharaoh himself.
From Pharaoh down to Pain (Genesis 45:1-2 NLT)
Joseph had to face his past when he met his brothers, who sold him as a slave. It was an internally excruciating painful time. He cried a lot. But once he decided to forgive and help his brothers, the full revelation of God’s plan was revealed – that Joseph was to preserve the posterity of Israel.
From Pain up to Posterity (Genesis 45:7-8 NLT)
430 years after the promise of a nation given by God to Abraham, after Joseph had died, Moses led the Israelites' exodus out of Egypt. And from this came the nation of Israel. And most of all, from the nation of Israel, came our Savior, Jesus Christ.