Did you ever lose something that was precious to you? Maybe it was a dream, a friend, a house or a job. Or life just happened in a way you didn’t expect?

Though years have passed, it still hurts. The worst part is that God has been silent and that hurts even more.

In Genesis 37, we read about the story of Jacob and how he loved his son Joseph more than his other sons. Jacob even made a special coat for Joseph.

Joseph’s brothers hated him because of this and were jealous of him. One day when Joseph went to give his brothers some food, they plotted to kill him. One of the brothers intervened, so they decided to sell him as a slave instead.

They then lied to their father saying that a wild animal killed him. If you think your siblings are crazy, this might give you some perspective.

When Jacob heard this, he felt sorrow like nothing else. The Bible says that Jacob put on sack cloth and mourned for Joseph many days. Though Joseph’s siblings tried to comfort him, he refused to be comforted by them. He told them that he will continue to mourn until he dies. Such was his grief.

Though God spoke to Jacob about many things up until then, He remained silent about the whereabouts of Joseph. Jacob never thought he would see his son again. He believed his son was dead.

Almost two decades later, Joseph’s brothers finally go to Egypt for food because there was a great famine in the country. Now God had elevated Joseph and made him second in command to Pharoah, fulfilling his dreams as a boy.

When Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them though they didn’t know it was him. Joseph wanted to test them so he asked them many questions and finally requested that they return back with Benjamin (Jacob’s other favourite son).

His brothers unaware that they were speaking to Joseph returned back to Jacob asking for their younger brother to join them. Jacob still grieving for Joseph and afraid that he might lose Benjamin as well says, ‘Everything is against me’. Genesis‬ ‭42‬:‭36‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Maybe Jacob never truly overcame his grief and disappointment over losing Joseph. But what Jacob doesn’t know is that God was actually working everything out for him in that very moment.

God Was Working Even When Jacob Couldn’t See It

The story goes on and Joseph finally reveals himself to his brothers, they go back to tell their father that Joseph is alive and he’s the ruler of Egypt!

“They told him, “Joseph is still alive! In fact, he is ruler of all Egypt.” Jacob was stunned; he did not believe them.” Genesis‬ ‭45‬:‭26‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Old and tired as Jacob was, he agrees to go to Egypt with his sons to meet Joseph. And here, God gives Jacob a great promise.

“And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, “Jacob! Jacob!” “Here I am,” he replied. “I am God, the God of your father,” he said. “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph’s own hand will close your eyes.”” Genesis‬ ‭46‬:‭2‬-‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jacob meets Joseph and there was a great reunion. Years later, when Joseph takes his sons Ephraim and Manasseh to Jacob for his blessing, he says to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face again, and now God has allowed me to see your children too.”” Genesis‬ ‭48‬:‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jacob never expected to see Joseph but God let him see Joseph’s grandchildren! Talk about a plot twist!

God had much greater plans and exceeded Jacob’s expectations. God didn’t just look at Jacob’s dreams but the saving of many lives that changed the trajectory of the nation of Israel as a whole. I find that quite amazing!

The story of Jacob and Joseph reminds us that God’s silence is not the end of the story. For almost 20 years, Jacob grieved his son. But God kept Joseph safe and even orchestrated a family reunion. Often, He is working behind the scenes toward something far greater than we could ever imagine.

I want to encourage you, if you’ve been looking at something that feels dead, your heart is grieving and God seems silent, God may not be done yet. His silence doesn’t mean He doesn’t see or hear you. God is often working far beyond what we can see or expect.

The one who holds your heart knows the dreams and the pains you carry. He is orchestrating things not just for you but for a greater and grander purpose that far exceeds your expectations.