When Everything is Stripped Away

Scripture: Genesis 37:23-24 – “When Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped off his robe, the robe of many colors that he had on. Then they took him and threw him into the pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it.”

Devotional: Joseph was stripped—of his robe, his pride, his security, and his identity as his father’s favorite son. He didn’t see it coming, but in an instant, everything changed. One moment he was walking toward his brothers with a purpose; the next, he was at the bottom of a pit, betrayed and abandoned.
Many of us have been there. Stripped of a relationship, a job, a dream, or a plan we thought was secure. The pit is a place of loss, but it is also a place of revelation. It exposes our need for God and reveals the parts of us that need refining. Joseph had to confront the role his own pride played in his fall. He had worn the robe not just as a gift, but as a symbol of his elevated status. He had spoken his dreams not with humility, but with a sense of superiority. The pit forced him to see himself differently.
How do you respond when you are stripped of what you thought made you valuable? Do you resist, blame others, or harden your heart? Or do you allow God to shape you through it?
Joseph’s story teaches us that when God strips something away, He is not trying to destroy us. He is preparing us. Before Joseph could wear the robe of authority in Egypt, he had to let go of the one that represented his pride.
Sometimes, our breaking point is really our shaping point. God is not only removing what we don’t need; He is also building in us what we do. The question is: will we allow Him?

Prayer: Lord, I come before You acknowledging that there are times I have held onto things that You wanted to remove. I have defined myself by the wrong things—titles, achievements, or the approval of others. When I find myself in the pit, help me to trust that You are working for my good. Strip away my pride, my selfishness, and anything that keeps me from fully relying on You. Shape me into the person You created me to be. I surrender this process to You, knowing that You will strengthen me through it. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Reflection Questions:
 1. Have you ever experienced a moment where you felt stripped of something significant? How did you respond?
 2. What is God trying to remove from your life right now so that He can shape you?
 3. How can you shift your perspective to see the “pit” as preparation rather than punishment?