8-9-26 “God Is Still at Work When Life Falls Apart”
“God Is Still at Work When Life Falls Apart”
I want to start with something funny that I found an internet site: There were a taxi driver and a minister. They died on the same day and stood before God to be judged. First, God asked the taxi driver, “Where did you work?” The taxi driver answered, “I worked in New York City.”
God looked at the record and said, “Okay, go to heaven by the golden road.”
The minister heard God’s judgment for the taxi driver and expected to receive even greater praise. After all, he had devoted his life to serving God. But God did not ask him any questions. Instead, God simply looked at his record and said, “Go to hell.”
The minister was shocked and said, “Lord, I think there must be some mistake. I was a minister. I worked hard for your people. How could You send the taxi driver to heaven and send me to hell?” God answered, “Well, I judge by the results. The taxi driver made people pray while he was driving, but you made people fall asleep while you were preaching.”
Last Sunday, I talked about how we are not only given a new name—Children of God—but are also called to live as God’s children. I know it is not easy to practice the love of God and the love of our neighbors every moment of every day. That is why we need to pray continually for God’s help. Sometimes the very people we love and care for—even our own family members—may hurt us, even when we have done nothing wrong. In fact, we may have loved them deeply and cared for them faithfully. When that happens, how heartbreaking it is! Today’s Scripture deals with family conflict, jealousy, favoritism, suffering, and God’s hidden providence. Through this story, we will see how God is still at work even in the midst of family conflict and broken relationships. So, today’s sermon is titled, “God Is Still at Work When Life Falls Apart.”
Jacob (Israel) had finally settled with his family in the Promised Land. He had been reconciled with his brother Esau. In fact, Esau had let go of Jacob’s deception years earlier and warmly welcomed Jacob and his family home. Today’s Scripture tells the story of Jacob’s sons.
Have you ever looked back over your life and realized that one difficult day changed everything? Perhaps it was the day you lost your job. The day you heard a frightening diagnosis. The day someone you trusted let you down. The day you buried someone you loved.
When we are living through those moments, they feel like the end of the story. But years later, we sometimes discover that they were only the beginning of another chapter.
I remember feeling as though my whole world had come to an end when my mother passed away. But my mother’s final wish became a turning point in my life. That moment led me on a journey that brought me here today.
Joseph, Israel’s beloved son, also faced what must have felt like the end of the world. He was betrayed by his own brothers, thrown into a pit, and sold as a slave. Yet even in that painful moment, God was already working ahead of him, preparing a way to save many lives. If we only read Genesis 37, we might think it is one of the saddest stories in the Bible. But we know something Joseph did not know. God had not stopped working.
Joseph is seventeen years old. He helps his older brothers care for the family’s flocks. Like many young people, he dreams about the future. Life seems full of possibilities. Jacob loves Joseph more than his other sons and gives him a beautiful robe (a brightly colored coat)—a visible sign of his special affection. Joseph also shares his dreams without realizing how they sound to his brothers. Whether from youthful excitement or immaturity, his words only deepen their resentment. Already there are cracks in the family. His brothers grow more jealous each day. One family. One father. Twelve brothers. Yet beneath the surface, anger is quietly growing.
Isn’t that often how life works? Everything appears normal on the outside. We come to church smiling and greeting one another, saying, “Peace be with you.” Yet we often do not know who is carrying a wounded heart unless they choose to share it. When families gather for holidays, behind many smiles are wounds that no one else can see.
Then comes one ordinary day. Jacob (Israel) simply says to Joseph, “Go and see if your brothers are well.” It sounds like an ordinary errand. Joseph has no idea that this journey will change his life forever. Sometimes life changes with a single phone call. One doctor’s appointment. One conversation. One unexpected event. One ordinary morning becomes the day everything changes.
Joseph walks many miles looking for his brothers. Imagine him scanning the hills, calling out, “Hello! Where are you?” He is looking forward to seeing them. Finally, he spots them in the distance. But before he can reach them, they see him. And instead of saying, “Hi, Joseph! We’re over here!” they say, “Here comes this dreamer.” Their hearts are filled with jealousy and hatred. They no longer want him around. So, they strip off Joseph’s beautiful robe—the robe that symbolized his father’s special love—and throw him into an empty pit.
Imagine Joseph sitting there: confused, terrified, calling out for help, and wondering, ‘What did I do to deserve this?’ Then comes another heartbreaking moment. The brothers sell Joseph to a passing caravan for twenty pieces of silver, and Joseph becomes a slave.
Sometimes life falls apart because of the choices we make. Sometimes it falls apart because of the choices others make. Joseph did nothing to deserve what happened to him. Many of us know that feeling. Perhaps someone betrayed your trust. Perhaps someone broke a promise. Perhaps life simply was not fair. Genesis does not pretend that these things never happen. It tells the truth. Sometimes good people suffer without anything wrong.
But here is something remarkable. Did you notice what is missing from this chapter?
God never speaks. There are no angels. No miracles. No burning bush. No voice from heaven.
God seems silent. But silent does not mean absent. This is one of the beautiful truths of Scripture: sometimes God is working most powerfully behind the scenes. While Joseph sits in the pit, God is already preparing Egypt. While Joseph is chained to the traders, God is preparing Pharaoh. While Joseph thinks his life is ending, God is beginning something much greater.
Joseph cannot see it. Neither can Jacob. Neither can his brothers. Only God sees the whole picture.
How often do we pray, “Lord, where are You?” Perhaps the better question is, “Lord, what are You preparing that I cannot yet see?” Faith does not mean understanding everything.
Faith means trusting the One who does.
Many years later, Joseph finally understood that God had been with him all along, quietly working even through the darkest moments of his life. Standing before the very brothers who had betrayed him, Joseph spoke these remarkable words: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good.” (Genesis 50:20) Joseph did not deny the evil that had been done to him. He did not pretend it didn’t hurt. Instead, he testified that God’s purpose was greater than human evil.
That is our hope as well. Our faith does not rest in what we can see, but in the God who sees the beginning and the end. So, if your life feels like it is falling apart today, remember this:
Your story is not over. The God who was at work in Joseph’s life is still at work in yours.
And because God has been so gracious to us, we are called to reflect that grace to others.
As the Apostle Paul reminds us: “Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.” (1 Thessalonians 5:15). May we trust God’s unseen work, wait patiently for His timing, and choose kindness even when life is unfair.
Thanks be to God. Amen.