1-2. (a) Why we can’t be surprise when we going through problem? (b) Wetin we coming learn in this article?

 BECAUSE WE serving Jehovah, we can’t be surprise when we get problem. We know that the Bible say, “we must enter into the Kingdom of God through many tribulations.” (Acts 14:22) We also know that some of our problem them will not be solve now-now, until we enter in God new world, where “death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore.”​—Rev. 21:4.

² Jehovah can’t protect us from all our problem them. But he can help us to bear them. See what the apostle Paul told the Christian them that were living in Rome. First, he talk about some problem them he and his brothers were facing. Then he said: “We are coming off completely victorious through the one who loved us.” (Rom. 8:​35-37) It mean that Jehovah can make you successful even when you facing problem. Let see how Jehovah help Joseph to be successful and how He can help you too.

3. How Joseph life change quick-quick?

³ Jacob use to show that he really love his son Joseph. (Gen. 37:​3, 4) Because of that, Joseph big brother them use to be jealous over him. When they were having the opportunity, they sell Joseph to some business people. The business people carry Joseph and sell him again to Potiphar, who was the chief body guard to Pharaoh. Joseph life change quick-quick from papa lovely child, to slave in Egypt!​—Gen. 39:1.

4. How we can face problem like what happen to Joseph?

 ⁴ The Bible say “bad things can happen to everyone.” (Eccl. 9:​11, Holy Bible​—Easy-to-Read Version) Sometime we can face hard time that “common to men”​—that mean, hard time that other people na go through too. (1 Cor. 10:13) Or we can suffer sometime because we Jesus disciples. For example, maybe people can play fun of us, go against us, or even persecute us because of our faith. (2 Tim. 3:12) But no matter what problem we facing, Jehovah can make us to be successful. How He did it for Joseph?

5. According to Potiphar, why Joseph was successful? (Genesis 39:​2-6)

⁵ Read Genesis 39:​2-6. Potiphar notice that the young man Joseph was smart and hard working. He also knew why Joseph was successful. Potiphar saw that “Jehovah was making everything that [Joseph] did successful.” b So he made Joseph to be working for he himself. He also made Joseph to be in charge of his whole house. Because of that, everything was alright for Potiphar.

6. How Joseph was feeling about his situation?

⁶ Try to imagine how Joseph was feeling. Wetin Joseph really wanted? You think he was doing it for Potiphar to see him and pay him? The main thing that Joseph wanted was to be free and go back to his pa. After all, even though Joseph was having good-good things in Potiphar house, he was still slave to someone who was not serving Jehovah. Jehovah not make Potiphar to free Joseph. And Joseph situation was coming get worse.

7. How Joseph situation was just getting worse? (Genesis 39:​14, 15)

⁷ According to Genesis chapter 39, Potiphar wife wanted Joseph to lay down with her and she always try to force him to do it. Any time she try it, Joseph will say no. She finally got vex with  Joseph and lie that he wanted to rape her. (Read Genesis 39:​14, 15.) When Potiphar heard it, he put Joseph in jail for some years. (Gen. 39:​19, 20) How the jail house was looking? The Hebrew word Joseph use for “prison” can mean “deep hole.” So it mean the place they put Joseph was dark and he was feeling that he not get hope. (Gen. 40:15; ftn.) The Bible also show that they tie Joseph feet with chain and they put his neck in irons for some time. (Ps. 105:​17, 18) Joseph situation was just getting worse. He na come down from being slave who they use to trust, to somebody in jail with no power.

8. Even if our problem just getting worse, wetin we can be sure about?

⁸ You na find yourself in any problem before that just continue to get worse, even though you pray and pray? It can happen. Jehovah can’t stop bad things from happening to us in Satan world. (1 John 5:19) But still, you can be sure that Jehovah know everything you going through, and he care for you. (Matt. 10:​29-31; 1 Pet. 5:​6, 7) And Jehovah also promise: “I will never leave you, and I will never abandon you.” (Heb. 13:5) Jehovah can help you to bear your situation even if you feel like you not get hope. Let see how he did it for Joseph.

9. What show that Jehovah was with Joseph when he was in jail? (Genesis 39:​21-23)

⁹ Read Genesis 39:​21-23. Even during this difficult time in jail, Jehovah made Joseph to be successful. How? Later on, Joseph attitude make the chief officer to respect and trust him, the same way he did it with Potiphar. It not stay long, the chief officer make Joseph the big man over the other people that were in jail. In fact, the Bible say that “the chief officer of the prison was looking after absolutely nothing that was in Joseph’s care.” Joseph was busy working now. Joseph was not expecting this big change! How it possible for them to give that big position to the prisoner who they say, almost rape the court official wife? That only one answer and it in Genesis 39:23. It say, “Jehovah was with Joseph and Jehovah made whatever he did successful.”

10. Explain why Joseph was not feeling that he was successful in everything.

¹⁰ Try again to imagine how Joseph was feeling in this situation. After they lie on him and put him in jail, you think Joseph was feeling that he was successful in everything? Wetin Joseph really wanted? You think Joseph was doing it for the chief office to like him? What Joseph really wanted was for them to free him. He even ask one other prisoner who they was coming free to talk with Pharaoh for him, so he can be free from that bad jail house. (Gen. 40:14) But the man forget to talk with Pharaoh right away. Because of that, Joseph stay in jail for two more years. (Gen. 40:23; 41:​1, 14) But still, Jehovah continue to make Joseph to be successful. How?

11. Wetin Jehovah help Joseph to be able to do, and how it help to fulfill Jehovah purpose?

¹¹ When Joseph was in jail, Jehovah made the king of Egypt to have two dreams. It really worry Pharaoh  so he wanted to know the meaning of the dream them. When the king got to know that Joseph able to interpret dreams, he sent for him. Jehovah help Joseph to give the meaning of the dreams and advice Pharaoh about what to do. So Pharaoh was really happy. He knew that Jehovah was helping the young man, so he made Joseph the big man for all the food business in Egypt. (Gen. 41:​38, 41-44) Later, food business got hard in Egypt and also in Canaan, the place Joseph family was living. Joseph was in the position now to save his family. And later, Jehovah was going to let the Messiah to come from their family line.

12. What some of the ways Jehovah help Joseph to be successful?

¹² Think about some of the thing them that happen in Joseph life. Who made Potiphar to take special interest in Joseph, who was just slave? Who made the chief officer of the jail house to like Joseph, who was just prisoner? Who made Pharaoh to have the dreams that worry him and gave Joseph the power to interpret them? Who was behind the decision to make Joseph the big man for all the food business in Egypt? (Gen. 45:5) We know that Jehovah who made Joseph to be successful in everything. Even though Joseph brothers wanted to kill him, Jehovah change the situation so that He could accomplish His will.

13. You think Jehovah can control everything in our life so that any bad thing that happen can be for good reason? Explain.

¹³ Wetin we learn from Joseph story? You think Jehovah can control everything that can happen to us? You think that Jehovah can control things so that all the bad things that can happen in our life can happen for good reason? No, the Bible not teach that one. (Eccl. 8:9; 9:11) But we know that when we facing problem, Jehovah can know it and he  can hear us when we cry to him for help. (Ps. 34:15; 55:22; Isa. 59:1) Also, Jehovah can help us to bear any problem we going through. How?

14. How Jehovah can help us when we going through hard time?

¹⁴ One way Jehovah can help us that to comfort and encourage us. And he can always do it the right time. (2 Cor. 1:​3, 4) That just what happen to Eziz, one brother in Turkmenistan. They put him in jail for two years because of his faith. He say, “That morning when they were going to judge my case, one brother show me Isaiah 30:15.” It say: ‘Your strength will be in keeping calm and showing trust.’ This Bible verse can always help me to not worry too much and to rely on Jehovah for everything. Thinking on this Bible verse help me throughout the time I was in jail.” You can remember anytime in your life, when Jehovah help to encourage and comfort you the time you really wanted it?

15-16. Wetin you learn from Tori experience?

¹⁵ Most of the time, we can’t know how Jehovah helping us until the problem we going through finish. That what happen to one sister name Tori. Her son, Mason suffer from cancer for six years until he die. It make Tori to really feel bad. She say, “I think as mother, that the biggest problem I na go through. I sure that other parents will agree with me that to see your child suffering, can be painful more than when it happening to you yourself.”

¹⁶ Even though Tori was feeling bad to see her son suffering, but later she  started to think about how Jehovah help her to bear it. She say, “When I think about it, I can see how Jehovah help me when my son was sick. For example, even when Mason was too sick and people were not allow to visit him, the brother and sister them use to drive two hours to still come to the hospital. Someone was always in the waiting room​—ready and willing to help us. The brother and sister them also took care of our material needs. Even when things were really hard, we were always having the thing them we need.” Jehovah help Tori and her son to bear all the things they were going through.​—See the box “ Jehovah Give Us Just What We Needed.”

17-18. What will help us to know and be grateful for the way Jehovah helping us when we going through problem? (Psalm 40:5)

¹⁷ Read Psalm 40:5. When somebody building house, they can want for it to finish so they can move inside. And when certain part of the house finish, the person can stop and take time to see how far they na go with the project. That the same way you must always take time to think about how Jehovah helping you to be successful when you going through problem. By the end of each day, ask yourself: ‘How Jehovah bless me today? Even though I still going through the problem, how Jehovah helping me to bear it?’ Try to find at least one thing Jehovah na do, to help you to be successful.

¹⁸ That true, maybe you praying for your problem to end. It not bad. (Phil. 4:6) But we must also remember how Jehovah blessing us now-now. After all, Jehovah na promise to make us strong and to help us to endure. So always be grateful for the way Jehovah helping you. Then you will see how Jehovah helping you to be successful the same way he help Joseph during hard time.​—Gen. 41:​51, 52.