By Rev. Ann Mann
annmann@comcast.net
We’ve all experienced storms in life, those moments when the waves of uncertainty crash over us, and we find ourselves struggling just to stay afloat. I remember when the storm I was facing was so fierce, I wasn’t sure I’d survive. The sudden loss of my husband two years ago threatened to drown me in grief.
I found myself questioning everything I had ever believed in. It was in the midst of this storm that I had to confront my faith in a way I never had before. I found God’s amazing grace sustained me in the storm. Perhaps you have found the same thing.
I wonder if that is what Joseph thought when his brothers betrayed him, cast him into a pit and sold him into slavery? We read his story in Genesis 37. Scripture tells us that Joseph’s father loved him best because he was the son of his old age. Jacob made Joseph an ornamental robe.
Every time Joseph’s brothers saw that robe, they were filled with jealousy and anger toward their brother. When he came to check on them in the field, they saw their window of opportunity.
When Joseph arrived, his brothers threw him into a pit, and then sold him into slavery. It must have felt like the end of the road for Joseph, betrayed by his own flesh and blood, cast into a pit, and shipped off to a foreign land.
Yet, even in this storm, God was with Joseph. Though the waves of betrayal battered him, God’s grace was working behind the scenes. The story doesn’t end in the pit; it is just the beginning of God’s plan to bring about something greater.
Joseph ends up being placed in charge of Pharaoh’s palace, and all his people. And it is because he is in this position, he is in a position to save his family, and so many more. He later tells his brothers, what they intended for harm, God used for good.
And isn’t this the way it is so often? I wasn’t sure how I would survive the loss of my husband. But I did survive. I am surviving. And I have taken these letters and compiled them into a book I pray will help others who find themselves in the midst of a storm.
I have learned that faith in God’s grace can sustain us. When we keep our eyes on Jesus, when we trust in His power rather than our own, we find the strength to walk through the storm. Joseph trusted in God even when he was sold into slavery, and God’s grace led him from the pit to a place of prominence where he could save his family.
No matter what storm we are facing, we can trust in God’s grace to see us through. Whether it’s a storm of loss, like the one I faced, or a storm of uncertainty, betrayal, or fear; God’s grace is there, ready to catch us when we feel like we’re sinking.
So, friends, how do we strengthen our faith so that we can keep our eyes on Jesus in the midst of the storm?
Here are a few practical steps. We spend time in prayer, not just asking for help, but listening for God’s voice. In prayer, we align our hearts with God’s will and find the peace that surpasses understanding.
We spend time reading scripture. The stories of faith, like those of Joseph and so many others, remind us of God’s faithfulness throughout the ages.
And we surround ourselves with a community of believers who can encourage us, pray with us, and walk alongside us in our journey of faith.
As we go through life, storms are inevitable. But so is God’s grace. The next time we find ourselves in the midst of a storm, remember Joseph. And most importantly, remember Jesus, who is always there, ready to give us more than we can ask or imagine.
Ann Mann is an Emmy Award winning journalist, now serving as pastor to Barnesville First United Methodist Church. Her email is annmann@comcast.net.