As we've studied the life of Joseph with Scott Pauli, we've learned that this study isn't necessarily about Joseph,

but instead about the God who was with Joseph, even in the darkest of circumstances.

As you look at your own circumstances through the eyes of faith, do you recognize God's

presence?

Oh, that we could learn to live in the presence of God.

Be sure to stay tuned after today's study to learn more about Scott's book on the life

of Joseph entitled, The Lord was with Joseph.

As a little boy, I remember looking at my father's hands. And of course, to a child holding

his daddy's hand, his hands are so much bigger. And I remember looking at those hands and thinking how strong

they looked. I remember my grandfather, who was a coal miner and a farmer, a mountain man,

working with him in the fields, and looking at his hands. They'd been scarred up and marked by years

of labor. And yet yet what strength was there

i love the fact that when we come to genesis 49 and jacob is speaking to his son joseph and speaking

into his life and about his future he calls attention not to his hands, but to the hands of the

Heavenly Father, His God. Let's read our verses again. In Genesis 49, verse 23 and 24, we read this

about Joseph's life, the archers have sorely grieved him and shot at him and hated him, but his bow, a bowed in strength.

And the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob.

In our last study, we learned that we're all living in the battle. There's a spiritual

conflict. The enemy hates God because of that. He hates God's people and God's work and he's

going to fight. Don't be surprised. The words of Peter, think it not strange concerning the

fiery trial which is to try you as though some strange thing happen unto you.

This is nothing new. We're not the first people to have spiritual conflict. We won't be the last.

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