But God Was With Him
When Grace Enters the Situation
Text: Acts 7:9–10 (ESV)
One of the most painful questions believers ask in seasons of injustice is this:
“If God is with me, why is this happening?”
Acts chapter 7 records Stephen’s sermon before the Jewish council—a message that traces Israel’s history and exposes a pattern of resisting God’s messengers. In the middle of that history lesson, Stephen revisits the story of Joseph.
But he emphasizes something easy to overlook.
Joseph was betrayed.
Joseph was enslaved.
Joseph was imprisoned.
And yet Scripture says:
“But God was with him.”
Betrayed by His Own (Acts 7:9)
“And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt…”
Stephen does not soften the truth. Joseph’s suffering began with envy from his own brothers.
This was not a misunderstanding.
It was intentional harm.
Jealousy led to betrayal, and betrayal led to bondage.
Joseph’s story reminds us that obedience does not exempt us from injustice.
God’s Presence Did Not Prevent Pain
Joseph’s life unfolded through a series of losses—family, freedom, reputation.
There is no indication that God explained Himself to Joseph during these years.
No immediate rescue.
No visible vindication.
Yet God’s presence never left.
Stephen does not say God removed Joseph from suffering.
He says God was with him in it.
The But God Moment (Acts 7:10)
“And rescued him out of all his afflictions and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh…”
Here is the turning point.
Affliction did not have the final word.
God’s presence produced rescue—at the right time.
Joseph’s deliverance was not rushed.
It was prepared.
God used every season of suffering to shape the wisdom Joseph would need for leadership.
What looked like delay was divine development.
Grace in Unjust Places
Egypt was not Joseph’s calling.
It was his classroom.
Prison was not punishment.
It was preparation.
God’s presence transforms places of injustice into places of formation.
Grace does not always change our surroundings.
Sometimes it changes us.
Stephen’s Point — And Ours
Stephen reminds his listeners that God’s servants have often suffered rejection.
Joseph was rejected.
Moses was rejected.
The prophets were rejected.
And ultimately, Jesus was rejected.
God’s presence has never guaranteed public approval.
It guarantees faithful purpose.
The Gospel Thread
Joseph’s story echoes loudly in the life of Christ.
Jesus was betrayed by His own.
He was falsely accused.
He was condemned unjustly.
And yet Scripture tells us that God was accomplishing salvation through it all.
At the cross, it appeared that God was absent.
But God was at work.
Resurrection proved what suffering tried to conceal.
Living in This “But God” Moment
You may be walking through injustice you did not create.
You may be suffering for reasons you do not understand.
God’s presence does not always explain the pain.
But it does redeem it.
You may feel forgotten.
You may feel overlooked.
But God is still with you.
Grace is not absent.
It is quietly at work.
Continue Learning
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- But, God — Part 1: Rich in Mercy
Grace enters when we are spiritually dead. - But, God — Part 2: Meant It for Good
God redeems betrayal and injustice. - But, God — Part 3: Multiplied Them
God advances His promises under pressure. - But, God — Part 4: Raised a Deliverer
God shows compassion in repeated failure. - But, God — Part 5: Did Not Give Him Over
God preserves His servants under pursuit. - But, God — Part 6: Is My Portion
God Himself remains our lasting inheritance. - But, God — Part 7: Appointed a Fish
God pursues and restores the runaway.
A Final Word
Joseph’s life reminds us that God’s presence is not proven by ease.
It is revealed by faithfulness.
Injustice may wound.
Waiting may weary.
But abandonment is never the story of God’s people.
If you are walking through something you did not deserve, hold fast to this truth:
God is with you.
And when the time is right, grace will speak louder than injustice.
Grace is still entering the situation.
