TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2014: READ Genesis 39:6-23. Poor Joseph! Here is a man that has been sold into slavery and is just trying to make an exhausting situation into a good life. He loves the Lord and knows that God is with him. He is a man that wants to please God, but the enemy is constantly after him. In this passage Satan tries to get right to the core of Joseph. He sends a beautiful and powerful woman his way and opens the door for a possible affair. Potiphar’s wife is consistent in her desires for Joseph, but Joseph does not fall into this tempting trap. He runs knowing the seriousness of the situation. GOOD FOR HIM! We all know that this had to take major strength to run away from this daily battle. So what was Joseph’s reward for standing strong and respecting Gods commands? HE IS THROWN INTO PRISON! Wait…what? Prison? How can this be a good reward for such a strong and wise decision? While the arrest may or may not have shocked Joseph while being falsely accused, God was there and shows up in what would be seen as a “hardship”. Genesis 39:21-23 reads, “But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his doing. The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph’s authority, because the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper.” (NKJV) Prison for Joseph became freedom!! Joseph was now completely out of the exhausting, daily situation of being tested by Potiphar’s wife. Prison was Joseph’s way out of slavery. But that’s not all…God blessed the heart of the prison warden and the warden made Joseph a leader. He trusted Joseph and showed him favor. This experience continued to prepare Joseph for his journey in leadership. Prison gave Joseph the opportunity to start using his gift of interpreting dreams. Prison builds Joseph where one day he gets to reveal himself to his brothers, who betrayed him! And eventually Joseph becomes the highest officer of the king of Egypt. Max Lucado, in The Inspirational Bible, writes “In order to experience God’s power, leaders must often endure hardship. Then they emerge to make their contribution.” Prison for Joseph was an opportunity for his character to continue to build. How is God continuing to build your character? Do you recognize the avenues of freedom to grow?
Posted on: Tue, 09 Sep 2014 10:15:02 +0000
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