29.07.2025
Joseph – A Faith That Carries Through
Devotions from the Life of a Dreamer with Character
4. The Well of Despair
When everything turns dark – and God is still there
Introduction
The well.
No light. No grip. Just cold and emptiness.
Despair is not a quiet feeling –
it screams in the darkness.
It doesn’t ask politely.
It overwhelms.
It was the same for Joseph.
He didn’t just fall physically into the cistern,
but also inwardly into an abyss.
The voices that betrayed him were still above.
But no one came to pull him out.
No escape. No understanding. No comfort.
Only the well –
and the despair.
And yet:
God was there.
Even there.
Devotion
Genesis 37:24:
“And they took him and threw him into the cistern. The cistern was empty; there was no water in it.”
A pit.
No water – but also no way out.
A place that shows: You’ve hit rock bottom.
Joseph had dreams –
but now he was pushed into darkness.
No ray of light saying, “It will get better.”
No voice calling, “I’m with you.”
Only silence.
Maybe you know wells like that.
Times when you fell –
not because you failed,
but because life pushed you down.
A conversation that changed everything.
A loss that pulled the ground from under you.
A decision made against you, for no reason.
And you sit there –
asking yourself:
“God, are you still there?”
“You have put me in the lowest pit,
in the darkest depths.”
“Why, Lord, do you reject me
and hide your face from me?”
These words are in the Bible –
because God knows such times exist.
He doesn’t hide them.
He doesn’t condemn them.
He meets us in them.
Story – How Elias Met God in the Depths
Elias was 19 when his world fell apart.
His mother – seriously ill.
His father? Long gone.
His only anchor – music and faith.
But one winter, he lost both:
His mother passed away –
and in his grief, he also lost the strength to believe.
Where there used to be worship,
there was now only silence.
He stopped going to church.
He stopped praying.
He shut himself off.
“I can’t go on anymore” – that was his constant thought.
“If you exist, God – why did you allow this?”
Then one evening, he listened to an old recording of his mother.
She had recorded a prayer years ago,
just casually – as a voice message.
“Elias, if you’re hearing this – and I’m no longer around –
remember: God has not forgotten you.
You can tell Him everything.
Even your pain.”
He wept.
For the first time in weeks.
Not because everything got better –
but because he realized: God had never left.
The well was there –
but God was deeper.
Today, Elias says:
“I thought my faith was gone.
But God was never gone from me.
I met Him in the depths.”
What We Can Learn from This
-
Even believers fall into dark wells
-
Despair is not a sign of unbelief – but an invitation to be honest
-
God is not only on the mountaintops – He’s in the depths too
-
The pit is not the end – sometimes it’s the beginning of something deeper
Reflections – What Does This Mean for You?
Have you experienced times when you felt “trapped” inside?
Were there moments when you didn’t feel God’s presence – and yet hoped He was there?
Can you bring your despair to God – just as it is?
Practical Steps for Today
Speak your despair honestly in prayer – you don’t have to sugarcoat it Read Psalm 88 – one of the most honest texts in the Bible Make space for silence – God often speaks softly Write down what holds you in the “well” – and what still gives you hope
“The well was empty – but not meaningless.”
Prayer
Lord,
I don’t know how deep I’ve fallen –
but I know: You are deeper still.
When I see nothing,
You still see me.
When I don’t feel You,
You still hold me.
Today, I bring You my despair.
My questions. My darkness.
Give me hope –
not for a quick way out,
but for Your presence.
Show me: I am not alone.
Not even in the pit.
Amen.
Takeaway for Today
“God is not only the God of the mountains –
He is also the God of the wells.”
Blessing to End With
May the Lord bless you –
when you fall,
and no one catches you.
May He be near –
when you cry out,
and no one answers.
May He hold you –
when you feel like nothing holds anymore.
And may He lead you out –
not always quickly,
but always surely.
Because He is there –
even in the well.
Even in the despair.
Even with you.
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