It's Not Over

Have you ever felt like you were in a pit of despair, discouragement or even hopelessness? Having gone through infertility, an unwanted divorce and extreme health challenges as a child, I can relate. There is a man in Scripture, Joseph, who understands as well. And not only was he in an emotional “pit,” but a literal one!

When Joseph was seventeen, God gave him two prophetic dreams in which his family bowed down to him as their ruler. Against better judgment, young Joseph shared this dream with his brothers. It is no surprise that they were upset by these dreams.

Joseph was the youngest of his brothers and was highly favored by his father. His brothers’ jealousy over their father’s affection toward him, compounded by their anger regarding Joseph’s dreams, resulted in a murder plot. Joseph’s brothers decided to kill him by throwing him into a deep pit and leaving him there to die.

However, after throwing Joseph in the pit, they decided that instead of leaving him in the pit to die, they would rather make a profit off his life by selling him into slavery. But even in the midst of this turmoil, God’s hand was upon Joseph. A man named Potiphar bought Joseph and favored him greatly because he could see that the blessing of God was with him. Unfortunately, Potiphar’s wife wrongly accused Joseph of assault and he ended up in prison. It seemed like Joseph could not get a break. The prison that Joseph was in, however, turned out to be his path to promotion.

Like Joseph, you may feel that the circumstances in your life are holding you back from the dreams God has placed in your heart. But where you are is not a surprise to God. You see, things began to turn around for Joseph while he was in prison. God gave Joseph a divine connection when he was in prison, which led him to be an advisor for the Pharaoh. Joseph was then promoted to a position of authority, fulfilling the dream that God had placed in his heart.

Who would have thought that the pit and the prison would have led Joseph to the palace? In the same way that God did not forget what He promised Joseph, He hasn’t forgotten what He has spoken to you.

In moments of discouragement, I imagine that Joseph had to remind himself that God was going to complete what He started. And many times, when we are in the “pit,” we must remind ourselves of God’s promises and keep our trust anchored in Him.

Philippians 1:6 reminds us, Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

God will complete the good work that He began in you.

Instead of growing discouraged when you find yourself in the pit, let it encourage you that you are on your way to the promise. Whenever people are mistreating you, or even falsely accusing you, don’t worry, they may be directing your steps to promotion!

Joseph said it best, What the enemy meant for evil, God meant for good. We can have great confidence knowing God will take the very things that we are going through and turn them around for our good and His glory. (Romans 8:28).

If you haven’t yet seen victory, your story isn’t over. With God, every pit is transformed into a pathway to your purpose. God promises restoration, healing and hope. It’s not over until God speaks the final word.

Lisa Osteen Comes is an associate pastor at Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. Pressing through several harrowing life challenges, she has become known as a respected ministry leader and Bible teacher.