Solid Joys Daily Devotional God’s Most Successful Setback
Dec 16, 2025
Explore the power of divine setbacks with John Piper as he unpacks Christmas as a strategic retreat leading to victory. Discover Joseph's tumultuous journey from dreams to imprisonment, demonstrating God's providential plan. Hear how Joseph's encounters in prison foreshadow Christ's humility and ultimate exaltation. Learn about the shared path of suffering for believers, where setbacks turn into unexpected blessings. The discussion culminates in a message of hope, promising mercy and glory amidst trials.
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Victory Through Apparent Defeat
- God often achieves victory through what looks like defeat, reshaping outcomes by apparent setbacks.
- John Piper highlights this pattern from Joseph to Jesus as a divine strategy that reverses human expectations.
Joseph's Unlikely Route To Glory
- Joseph was promised glory but became a slave, then a prisoner, before rising to rule Egypt and save his family.
- Piper uses Joseph's story as a concrete example of how setbacks served God's larger plan.
Christ's Humiliation And Exaltation
- Jesus emptied himself, suffered as a servant, was imprisoned and executed, yet kept his integrity and was exalted.
- Piper parallels Jesus' humiliation with Joseph's trajectory to show the same divine reversal at Christmas.
