Acts 7:9-16. In his testimony before the council, Stephen moves on to the story of Joseph. The patriarchs (the sons of Jacob) were jealous of their younger brother Joseph, and they sold him into Egypt, "but God was with him ...  and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh". When a famine struck, Jacob sent his sons to Egypt to ask for grain. On their second visit, Joseph made himself known as their brother and welcomed them into Egypt. He sent for his father Jacob, who came to Egypt but was returned to Shechem to be buried when he died, as were his sons.

Joseph was treated terribly by his brothers but, because he was faithful and forgiving, God protected him. He did have to suffer quite a bit, though. His brothers betrayed him and talked about killing him; they sold him to slavers; he was a servant in Egypt, and then he was imprisoned for rejecting the advances of his master's wife. All of this took place before he was brought to Pharaoh to interpret a dream and thereby gained Pharaoh's favor.

If I put myself into Joseph's shoes at any point in his story before he met Pharaoh, I think I would be greatly traumatized. The betrayal by his brothers, especially, must have wounded him deeply. But Joseph doesn't hold a grudge, he trusts God and eventually is raised to great heights from which he is able and willing to help the family that betrayed him!

Joseph's suffering, and his reaction to it,  is a good lesson for me. I feel somewhat betrayed by many people who I love, and it has caused me great suffering, but I must accept this suffering with forgiveness in my heart and love for the people who have hurt me. It is very difficult to do, but God will reward this behavior, He always does - just look at Joseph and, eventually, Jesus!