The fact that God was with Joseph is emphasised numerous times in these chapters of Gensis. Yet that didn’t mean Joseph had an easy life. Even in a foreign country, Joseph doesn’t abandon his beliefs in order to fit in. He flees temptation when it appears, and even though Joseph seems to be punished for doing so, by being jailed, he doesn’t abandon his beliefs in God.
David similarly maintained his reliance on God in times of trouble. Even while he felt that God had “made us a byword among the nations, a laughingstock among the peoples. All day long my disgrace is before me, and shame has covered my face”, David could also say “For not in my bow do I trust, nor can my sword save me. But you have saved us from our foes and have put to shame those who hate us.”
Finally, in Matt 26 we have the example of Jesus, who relied on God so perfectly that he was willing to sacrifice himself at God’s command, completely trusting that he would be raised again. He endured such agony and suffering, ““My soul is very sorrowful, even to death”, yet remained perfectly obedient.
So today we have 3 amazing examples of faithful people, who struggled in their own ways to serve God, yet remained faithful. We can be encouraged by knowing that, despite their struggles, they were faithful, and it is possible for us to be faithful to our God in the face of trials and hardships. We can all look forward to that day when we will be able to drink wine with our Lord Jesus Christ, knowing that God is ready and willing to help us in our lives.