Joseph must have wondered where God was at times, when he was alone in the well betrayed by his brothers, as well as the desperation he must have felt during the long walk to Egypt. Betrayal and false accusation by Potiphar's wife, time in jail again and all the time, away from the father he loved.
And yet God was at work and God never abandoned Joseph - but it is so hard to see that at times.
I was struck by this during my early morning walk today with my dogs in the mist and the heavy dew. Everywhere I went there were cobwebs, all brought to my attention by the weather conditions. Yet when I had walked the same path the evening before I saw none of them. Clearly they were still there, but not visible to my sight. But the morning dew changed that. Suddenly, there they were and I was overwhelmed by their presence.
It struck me that this is the same in the story of Joseph and also the story of our lives. At times we struggle to see God at work or know his presence and yet he is everywhere and fully involved in our lives. Looking back we sometimes see things differently and sometimes things are drawn to our attention that enables us to see things in a different way, to then for that moment be able to see God at work.
Just like the cobwebs on my walk - God was always there, just because we don't see him it doesn't mean he isn't there.
As we look at the story of Joseph and stop to consider our own lives, may we take the time to notice God at work, for he is there, even when we don't see him.
