Come, Follow Me Moms Podcast
March 9–15 | Genesis 37–41
The Lord Was With Joseph
Hey mamas, welcome back to another episode of Come, Follow Me Moms, where we dig into the scriptures each week and pull out the meat and potatoes so you can understand the scriptures, feel the Spirit, and apply them to real mom life.
This week for Come Follow Me we are studying Genesis 37–41, and the theme is one of my favorite phrases in the scriptures.
The Lord was with Joseph.
Here is the interesting thing.
Joseph’s life was not easy. In fact, the more righteous he was, the harder things seemed to get.
Joseph was betrayed by his brothers.
He was sold into slavery.
He was falsely accused.
He was thrown into prison.
He was forgotten by the people he helped.
And yet the scriptures say something incredible over and over again.
Not that the Lord prevented the trials.
But that God stayed with him in the trials.
I cannot stop thinking about that phrase. The Lord was with Joseph. In the hard season of his life. In the dirty walls of the prison cell. In the ditch his brothers threw him into.
And then I started thinking something powerful.
If God meets Joseph in the most unlikely places, He will meet us there too.
I have believed that for years.
God meets us in the dirt.
He meets us in the mess.
He meets us in the dark seasons of our life.
He meets us on bathroom floors.
He meets us in our cars.
He meets us in places where we feel broken and alone.
He might not take the trial away.
But He will show up and walk through it with us.
This lesson reminded me of the poem Footprints in the Sand. Growing up, that poem hung in our home. I continued the tradition and have it hanging in our home today. It is one of my favorites when I am feeling alone.
The message is simple but powerful. In our darkest times, when we feel like we are walking alone, those are actually the moments when Christ is carrying us.
God and Jesus never leave your side.
When Doing the Right Thing Makes Life Harder
One question the Come Follow Me manual asks this week is so important.
Why do bad things happen even when we do the right thing?
Joseph kept his covenants.
But he was still abused by family.
He was abandoned.
Elder D. Todd Christofferson teaches something powerful about this in his talk “Our Relationship with God.”
Sometimes we misunderstand the promises of God.
Sometimes we think that if we obey, everything will work out exactly the way we planned.
But that is not how God works.
God is not a cosmic vending machine where we insert obedience and instantly get the blessing we ordered.
Instead, God shapes our lives according to His wisdom and His timing.
Joseph’s life is a perfect example of this.
Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers. He worked faithfully in Potiphar’s house and rose in responsibility. But that progress was taken away because of false accusations from Potiphar’s wife.
Joseph could have thought, “So prison is what I get for keeping the law of chastity.”
Instead he continued to turn to God. And even in prison, the Lord prospered him.
Eventually the Lord placed Joseph in a position of power next to Pharaoh, allowing him to save the house of Israel.
Joseph truly lived the scripture that all things work together for good to them that love God.
The Lord Was With Joseph
One phrase appears over and over in Joseph’s story.
“The Lord was with Joseph.”
God was with him when he was a slave.
God was with him when he was falsely accused.
God was with him when he was thrown into prison.
God was with him when he was forgotten.
One of the biggest lies Satan tells us is this.
If God loved you, this would not be happening.
But Joseph’s story shows us something different.
God does not abandon us in hardship.
He walks with us through it.
Even in betrayal.
Even in seasons of waiting.
A Quick Recap of Joseph’s Story
Joseph’s father Jacob, whose name was later changed to Israel, was the twin brother of Esau. Jacob received the birthright.
Jacob worked seven years to marry Rachel, but he was deceived and given Leah instead. He worked another seven years for Rachel.
Leah had many children, hoping Jacob would love her more. Rachel eventually had Joseph, making him deeply loved and favored by Jacob.
Joseph received a coat of many colors and was clearly the favorite son.
His brothers grew jealous.
Joseph also had dreams showing that his brothers would one day bow down to him. This only made their anger worse.
In Genesis 37, his brothers planned to kill him, but Reuben convinced them not to. Instead they threw him into a pit and eventually sold him as a slave.
They dipped Joseph’s coat in blood and told their father Jacob that Joseph had died.
Joseph was taken to Egypt and sold to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh.
Genesis 39 teaches that Joseph was loyal and trustworthy. Potiphar recognized that the Lord was with Joseph and that everything Joseph did prospered.
But Potiphar’s wife tried to tempt Joseph to lie with her. Joseph refused.
Embarrassed and angry, she lied and accused Joseph. Potiphar had Joseph thrown into prison.
While in prison, Joseph met Pharaoh’s butler and baker. They each had dreams, and Joseph interpreted them.
The butler would be restored to his position in three days.
The baker would die in three days.
The butler promised to remember Joseph, but after he was released, he forgot him.
Years later Pharaoh had troubling dreams. No one could interpret them.
Finally the butler remembered Joseph.
Joseph was brought before Pharaoh. In Genesis 41:16 Joseph humbly said, “It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer.”
Joseph explained that Pharaoh’s dreams meant seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine.
Pharaoh trusted Joseph and placed him in authority over Egypt. Joseph became second only to Pharaoh.
Joseph stored food during the years of plenty, preparing Egypt for the famine. He also married and had two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
All of this happened because God never left Joseph’s side.
Joseph as a Type of Christ
Joseph’s story also points us toward Jesus Christ.
Joseph was betrayed by his own people.
He was sold for silver.
He was falsely accused.
He suffered even though he was innocent.
He eventually saved many lives.
Just as Joseph saved people physically from famine, Jesus Christ saves us spiritually from sin and death.
Fleeing Temptation
One of the most powerful moments in Joseph’s story happens when Potiphar’s wife tries to tempt him.
Joseph could have sinned and no one would have known.
But Joseph said something powerful in Genesis 39:9.
“How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”
Joseph understood that sin is not just breaking a rule. It damages our relationship with God.
Joseph did something very important.
He literally fled from temptation.
Sometimes the most spiritual thing we can do is simply walk away.
The Story of Tamar
In the middle of Joseph’s story we read about Tamar in Genesis 38. At first it can feel random, but it is actually very important.
Judah, one of Joseph’s brothers, had three sons. Tamar married the oldest son, but he died. According to the customs of that time, she then married the second son, who also died.
She was promised the third son when he grew older, but that promise was never fulfilled.
Eventually Tamar took matters into her own hands and disguised herself. Judah later realized what had happened and said a powerful phrase.
“She hath been more righteous than I.”
Tamar remained loyal to the covenant family. She later gave birth to twins named Pharez and Zarah.
From Pharez’s line would eventually come Jesus Christ.
This story teaches something powerful.
Even when situations look messy, broken, and complicated, God is still working through His covenant people.
God can fix what seems unfixable.
Many moms need to hear that today.
Maybe your family feels messy.
Maybe relationships feel broken.
Maybe life feels complicated.
God can still work through it.
Revelation and Preparation
Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams as seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine.
Joseph wisely counseled Pharaoh to prepare during the years of plenty so they would survive the famine.
This teaches an important principle.
Sometimes God gives revelation not just for today, but to prepare us for the future.
Joseph’s ability to listen to God and act on revelation saved nations.
From Prison to the Palace
One of the most remarkable moments in Joseph’s story is when he goes from prison to ruling Egypt.
Genesis tells us Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh.
Years of waiting.
But God was preparing him the entire time.
Sometimes what feels like a prison season is actually preparation for something bigger.
Final Thought for Moms
If you are in a hard season right now, Joseph’s story reminds us of something powerful.
God may not always remove the trial.
But He will never remove Himself from your life.
In waiting.
And mama, the Lord is with you too.
Thank you so much for listening to this week’s episode of Come, Follow Me Moms. I hope this helped you feel closer to the scriptures and feel the Spirit in this week’s lesson.
If this episode blessed your life, please share it with a friend, your sister, or your Relief Society. It helps share this message of faith and hope with more women.
May God bless your family this week.
May the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob be abundant in your life.
Here is the Talk I mentioned multiple times in this weeks episode
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2022/04/41christofferson?lang=eng
