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favor and presence followed him even when , by all appearances , the ruptures in Joseph ’ s life seemed beyond repair . This is a very important distinction for us to grasp . In the West , our culture assumes that God ’ s favor is most likely removed from a person who experiences the removal of people ’ s favor . But this assumption is not in sync with what we learn from the biblical narrative . The stories of the fathers and mothers of our faith reveal that suffering and trouble are both confirmations of and close companions to those who befriend God intimately here in a post-Eden world . In Genesis we see that God ’ s loving relational gaze is set on Joseph as a victim of injustice . God ’ s smile is not contingent on faulty man-made power structures and the fallibility of free will . He works in mysterious ways , and this Scripture passage reveals that God shows favor to those who remain in Him , regardless of whether human power structures do so .
When we look at Joseph ’ s suffering through the lens of God ’ s sovereignty , faithfulness , and justice , we will find that God ’ s character established and strengthened essential root systems of faith , hope , and love in Joseph ’ s life .
Adapted from Befriending God by Tanya Godsey . Copyright 2025 . Used by permission of NavPress . All rights reserved . Represented by Tyndale House Publishers , a Division of Tyndale House Ministries .
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Tanya Godsey is an artist , a worship leader , a speaker , a spiritual director , and the founder of Redeeming The Story , a nonprofit organization focused on spiritual renewal and personal development resources and gatherings . Tanya has spent 29 years in full-time ministry and created four critically acclaimed albums that have served as conduits of inviting others into God ’ s transforming presence . She holds a bachelor ’ s degree in psychology with an emphasis in Christian counseling from Dallas Baptist University and is the host of the Unforced Gifts podcast . Tanya and her husband have been married for over twenty years and live in the Nashville , Tennessee , area with their two children . 17