Read: Genesis 41:41-52
God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction. (v. 52)
Is it possible to flourish under the care of God, even in seasons of profound suffering? In a difficult season in my marriage, I asked this very question. Hope felt far-off, and solutions were slow in coming. And yet, there was a unique sweetness to that season of suffering in which I sensed the presence of God ever nearer to me in my pain and sorrow.
Betrayed and sold into slavery by his own family, Joseph fell from favored son of Jacob to falsely accused prisoner of Pharaoh. But God did not forget Joseph or leave him in his suffering. After several years in prison, Joseph was called into the palace by Pharaoh himself to interpret Pharaoh’s troubling dream. God gave Joseph the gift of dream interpretation, so Pharaoh rewarded Joseph by giving him half the kingdom. Under Joseph’s care, the land of Egypt and its people flourished as well—even during a season of famine.
What does it look like to flourish even when it seems we have lost everything? In the story of Joseph, we see that God grants us everything we need to flourish in seasons of plenty and in seasons of famine. In both consolation and desolation, it is God’s presence and favor with us that enables us to faithfully walk with him. Strange though it may seem, the barren ground of painful seasons is often the very soil God uses to plant seeds of flourishing.
As you pray, ask God to show you how he was with you in a season of suffering.
Katelyn J. Dixon is a contemplative writer, speaker, and poet living in the Seattle area. In her free time, Katelyn enjoys cooking, photography, and exploring the enchanting Pacific Northwest with her husband, Drew, while partnering with him in life and ministry.
