"And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man, and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian"-"But the Lord was with Joseph, and showed him mercy, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison" (Gen. 39:2, 21). What a contrast do these two verses present in the circumstances of Joseph! In the one, he is the head of the house of Potiphar-everything is intrusted to him; in the other, he is cast into prison under a false accusation, bitterly hated, and in danger of losing his life. Yet all is well with him. Circumstances have changed, but the Lord has not changed; "the Lord was with Joseph"-in palace or prison, it matters little, since this was the case. And so, with us, our circumstances do not make so much difference after all. We can say, or rather remember, the words of Him who said, " I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." Sickness or health, riches or poverty, joy or sorrow-they can only work for our good, if we are exercised aright by them. Let us learn the happy secret of which Paul was the possessor-"I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. … I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Phil. 4:11-13).