“Then they took him and cast him into a pit." -Genesis 37:24
Joseph was his father's favorite. Because of this, he was despised by the rest of his brothers. Joseph's brothers plotted against him to kill him. Instead of killing him however, they threw him into a pit and then sold him into slavery. But God had a different plan.
Joseph did not know that the pit was the door to his destiny. When he was thrown in the cistern by his brothers, he probably didn’t think God had anything to do with it. But after his years of imprisonment in Egypt and his subsequent promotion to second in command in Egypt, Joseph had discovered a lot more in hindsight than he would have known during his time in the pit. Joseph effectively saved Israel and the surrounding nations from a drought that would last 7 years because of his faith and trust in God.
There are several reasons God uses the pit in our lives:
The pit is for our healing & restoration - so we can walk in integrity (wholeness).
The pit is to increase our dependence upon God to supply all our needs. "And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19
The pit is for our character development and maturity
We cannot effectively get ourselves out of the pit in our own strength. But, we can speed up the process by forgiving those who have wronged us, letting God be our avenger, and being faithful in the small things in order for God to promote us. When we have been faithful and our heart is pure before God, God is then able to elevate us to the next place.
Do you find yourself in a pit right now? Make sure you are seeking God in this place and keep your heart pure before Him. If God can find us faithful in the small things, He will elevate us to greater things.
Related resource: The Upside of Adversity: Rising from the Pit to Greatness by Os Hillman
Did this devotional encourage you? Share it to encourage others or donate to keep it going!