God's Faithfulness in Life's Unfairness

Sometimes life hits you with something so unfair, so unexpected, it takes the wind out of your lungs.

It’s not just the betrayal—it’s who it came from. It’s not just the loss—it’s how sudden, how senseless, how brutal it feels. You sit in the aftermath wondering, What just happened? You were doing the right things. Working hard. Loving people. Trying to honor God. And then it all flipped. Like the ground under your feet gave way.

Ever felt that?

That moment where you’re left holding the broken pieces of your plans, wondering where God is in the wreckage? The silence gets loud. The prayers feel unanswered. And the question creeps in, not just once, but over and over: God, where are You in this? Did You see? Do You care? Are You still here?

Let’s name this up front: Life isn’t fair. And if you’re looking for fairness to be the evidence of God’s faithfulness, you’re going to struggle. Because sometimes, the more faithfully you live, the harder things get. But that doesn’t mean God has abandoned you. It doesn’t mean He’s punishing you. And it definitely doesn’t mean He’s done.

In fact, some of the clearest expressions of God’s faithfulness show up in the places we’d least expect—in the prison cells, the betrayal, the dry wells, and the silent seasons. And no one knew that more than Joseph.

Joseph understood what it meant to be misunderstood, mistreated, and forgotten. His story starts with favor—his father’s love, a robe of many colors, dreams from God—but that favor ignited jealousy. His own brothers couldn’t stomach it. They saw him coming and said, “Here comes the dreamer,” dripping with sarcasm. And before the sun set, they stripped him of his robe and tossed him into a pit.

Not just any pit—a dry, empty cistern. The kind of place where dreams go to die.

But here’s the twist: that pit wasn’t the end. It wasn’t even a detour. Psalm 105:17 says God sent Joseph ahead. Long before Joseph had any clue what was coming, God was already writing the map. The betrayal wasn’t a surprise to God. It was part of the positioning.

Joseph ends up sold into slavery in Egypt. But the Word tells us, “The Lord was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did.”

Let that settle in. Success didn’t mean ease. It didn’t mean promotion right away. It meant that even in a foreign place, even as a servant in Potiphar’s house, Joseph had God’s presence.

And Joseph kept showing up. Kept honoring God in the small things. Kept doing what was right, even when it didn’t seem to make a difference.

Then the storm rolls back in. Potiphar’s wife tries to seduce him. Joseph refuses. She lies. He’s thrown in prison. Another coat lost. Another chapter of injustice. And yet again, Scripture says, “The Lord was with Joseph.”

Even in prison. Even in the dark. Even when the dream seemed buried. God stayed.

Joseph’s life wrecks the myth that faith guarantees comfort. It doesn’t. But what it does guarantee is presence. God’s presence in the pit. In the prison. In the process.

And here’s what’s wild: the pit, the palace, the prison—they weren’t distractions from Joseph’s calling. They were the preparation for it. Every unfair twist was part of the setup for a redemptive, world-shifting purpose.

Joseph didn’t just survive. He saved nations. He forgave his brothers. He saw God take the worst and redeem it for something holy.

So let this sink in:

• Faith won’t erase your pain. But it will anchor you in the storm.

• People might fail you. But God never will.

• Integrity costs something. But it’s always worth the price.

• What feels unfair may be God’s setup for something far greater than you imagined.

So if you’re in the pit today—if life feels unjust and God feels silent—don’t give up. Don’t shut down. Don’t assume the story is over.

Life isn’t fair. But God is faithful. And He’s not done writing.

The only question is—will you keep trusting Him while you wait for the next chapter?

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In Christ,

Pastor Mike Rubino