“Jacob’s sons became jealous of their brother Joseph and sold him to be a slave in Egypt. But God was with him and brought him safely through all his troubles.” Acts 7:9-10 (GNT)

When faced with great adversity and hardship, Joseph remained resilient because he depended on God’s presence, no matter where he was.

There’s a phrase that’s used five times in Joseph’s story—and anytime something is said five times in Scripture, God wants you to pay close attention. This phrase is essentially, “The Lord was with Joseph.”

Acts 7:9-10 says, “Jacob’s sons became jealous of their brother Joseph and sold him to be a slave in Egypt. But God was with him and brought him safely through all his troubles” (GNT).

Jospeh knew that no matter what the setback was, God was with him. God was with Joseph when his brothers threw him in the pit and when they sold him to the traders. God brought him safely through all his troubles.

Notice that it doesn’t say God spared Joseph from his troubles. It says God brought him safely through.

When you have God’s presence, it doesn’t mean he’s going to keep bad or hard things from happening to you. It means he’s going to bring you through it. If God had spared Joseph from all the terrible things that happened to him, then Joseph would not have made it to Egypt, where he became a powerful leader who saved his people from famine. He would have never had his comeback.

God doesn’t cause your problems, but he can use them for his purposes. 

Whatever you’re facing today, God could have taken you around it or kept you out of it altogether. But he’s taking you through it for your good and for his glory.

Even when you don’t feel it, God’s presence has never left you. He was with Joseph in the pit, on the path to Egypt, in Potiphar’s palazzo, in prison, and in Pharaoh’s palace. There is no place you can go that he will not be with you too.

There is always something to learn in the setbacks of life. Maybe the only thing you learn in your troubles is how to depend on God’s presence and power—but that means a deeper, stronger faith will be one of your greatest comebacks.