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God has given us so many amazing records in Scripture. These examples, which “…were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” (Romans 15:4)

One remarkable example is found in the life of Joseph. Many have observed that Joseph’s life, in several ways, parallels the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. In Genesis 39, we read a particular testimony that ought to be true in the life of every Christian.

“And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither. 2  And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. 3  And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand.”

Joseph was in the midst of a difficult situation. As you know, he was betrayed by his brothers and sold into captivity as a slave. Yet in the midst of his difficulty, the Bible tells us that the Lord was with Joseph.

Joseph displayed the presence of God in his life, even in very adverse circumstances. In fact, so much so that the Bible tells us that his master saw that the LORD was with him.

I am reminded of the admonishment found in James 4:8 “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.”

Could it be that the Lord was with Joseph because Joseph was with the Lord? Could it be that Joseph was single-minded toward the Lord? Could it be that Joseph endeavored to keep his heart pure before the Lord? I believe the obvious answer to all of these statements is yes.

The result of this kind of life was that the people around Joseph knew that the Lord was with him. As we think about this wonderful record, perhaps we should ask the question, Do people know that the Lord is with me? Or maybe we could ask the question this way: Is the Lord with me?

If the answer is no, then perhaps the need is for us to draw nigh to God, to cleanse our hands and purify our hearts by coming to our wonderful Savior, Jesus Christ.