If anyone had reason to be discouraged, Joseph did. He not only endured his mother’s death and his brothers’ hatred but also faced slavery and imprisonment because of false allegations. Yet he was not an angry person.

Joseph kept his faith-filled outlook because he consistently relied upon God. When two royal servants were jailed, he acted with compassion and gave them aid. And notice how Joseph didn’t shrink back from speaking boldly about God to these men and to Pharaoh. When the Egyptian leader sought an answer, Joseph told him it would come from the Lord (Gen. 41:16).

Joseph’s story reminds us that in hard places, we too can experience our Father’s presence and thrive. You might be “held captive”—by unemployment, ill health, or a difficult relationship—but you can be hopeful because it is God who works in us. And His Holy Spirit will produce godly fruit in us when we depend upon Him (Gal. 5:22-23).

Joseph encountered much hardship in his life, but he saw that ultimately God always used it for good (Gen. 50:19-20). Thanks to the Holy Spirit, we can have a faith-filled perspective that enables us to glorify the Lord even in times of adversity.