Protector

One of the characteristics of God is that He is a protector. You can see God's protection throughout the scriptures when Daniel was thrown in the lion's den, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were protected from the fiery furnace, protecting Moses as a baby, helping the Israelites cross the Red Sea, and even protecting Joseph from his brothers. I could go on, for there are countless times God shows up repeatedly for his people, even when they did nothing but exist, like baby Moses and baby Jesus. There are also times when God shows up for his people when they stand firm in the Lord, such as Daniel. Today, I want to expand on what God's protective nature can look like in the hiding, in the denial, and in the waiting. We will mainly be looking at the life of Joseph and the protection of God in his life.

Hiding

If you have ever felt like you have been in a season of being hidden, it can feel frustrating because it feels like everything is stripped away from you. You see other people move on with their lives, stepping into their careers, having kids, marriage, or ministry opportunities, but you feel stuck in the same place you were 10 years ago. You sometimes even feel like the same person you were 10 years ago. Doubt starts to creep in. You start to question God.

But if we look at Joseph's life before he was thrown into the cistern (when his life seemingly took a turn for the worse), he had a good life. Life was good for this 17-year-old Joseph— He was his father's favorite, his father made him a special robe, and he was even having dreams about his family bowing down to him. That was until his brothers got jealous and sold him into slavery. From that time until he met his brothers again years later, God had to do some deep inner work in him so he could reunite with his brothers with love and not hate for selling him. God kept Joseph hidden from his family so he could restore Joseph’s heart and character. God elevated Joseph to where God wanted him to be at the right time, so when Joseph saw his brothers, he not only had forgiveness to offer them but blessings. He was able to help his family during the time of famine.

Psalms 91:1-2 (NIV), it says, “ Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” The word shelter suggests that protection is needed and that you can go to the Lord for your comfort and safety. To be in the shadow of someone, you must be close to them. They are standing in between and shielding you from the thing that is in front of them. You are not just hidden to be hidden, but you are hidden in the Lord as your protector. When you abide in Him and trust Him, you can rest in His shadow.

Denial

Another way God shows his protection is through denial. He denies things not to keep things from us or to punish us, but because he knows what is best for us. In Matthew 7:11 (NLT), it says, “So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him." Everything God gives us is good, and whatever He withholds is for our good. Even though it is a denial, God will ultimately get the glory out of it. We can once again look at the life of Joseph and see multiple ways in which God “denied” him. He was denied his life when he was sold into slavery, when he was put in jail because of Potiphar’s wife, and in jail, the cupbearer forgot him for two years. Despite the denials Joseph faced back-to-back, you can see throughout the story that it kept saying, “God was with Joseph.” That denial was a protection and a setup for something he was not expecting, so God can fulfill His promises.

We can see another example of that in John 21, when the disciples went out all night trying to catch some fish but caught nothing. In the morning, Jesus came around and told them to cast their net. Not only were they tired from fishing all night, but they were probably discouraged as well, having caught zero fish. They were only 100 yards from land, and that is where Jesus tells them to cast their nets, and they ended up catching so many fish that they could not put the net back in the boat. In this story, we can remember that denial is just for a moment, and it is a setup for something greater, for God to get the ultimate glory.

Waiting

The waiting is also God's protection. If you were given something prematurely, it could break you. Waiting builds perseverance and your faith. Isaiah 40:31 (NKJV) says, “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” We can go back to the story of Joseph and witness what the waiting did for him. He had to wait years to see the dream God gave him as a teenager to be fulfilled. Had he not waited with the Lord when he was thrown to jail and waited two years for the cupbearer to remember him, would he have shown the same compassion when he saw his brothers? In the waiting is where his character got refined; he went from this boastful 17-year-old to a humble and compassionate leader. In the waiting, is when God worked on parts of him that are hidden to look more like him for his people.

When Protection Does Not Look Like Protection

God's protection may not look the way we expected. It is not loud. It is him being born in a manger, it is Him riding a donkey, it is His still small voice, which is so like Him. We see God's protection echo through the life of Joseph through the hiding, the denial, and the waiting. Joseph's life shows us that God's protection is not always about Him keeping us from harm but shaping our hearts to look more like him and walk in the promises He has for us. When we are hidden, we may feel overlooked, but that is God covering us. In the denial, we may feel rejected, but that is God redirecting us. And in the waiting, we may feel forgotten, but that is God preparing us.

If you feel like you are in a season of hiding, denial, or waiting, remember the protection God offers through that. He has not forgotten you, and He is working in ways that are not seen right now. Just like Joseph, if God has given you promises, He will be faithful to complete what He has started. What seems like a setback may be a setup for something greater. His timing is perfect. He will be the one to sustain you and position you where you need to be for your character to be refined and for Him to get the glory.