I want you to picture in your mind a type of situation you would consider
to be the worst possible thing that could ever happen to you. We all have
certain scenarios that we refer to as "something I could never handle",
a position in which we never want to find ourselves. In our imaginations,
we have convinced ourselves these particular circumstances would be the
ruin of us rather than a rising, a prison that we could not break out
of, so to speak. We envision them as settings in which a gripping fear
rises to the surface, coupled with an intense sense of being trapped and
all alone. As we'll see today in our study of Genesis 39:21-23, Joseph
unexpectedly found himself in such a spot, for I'm sure he probably never
wanted to end up in prison! He was a godly young man who sought only to
do right, staying as far away as possible from the wrong. Without a shred
of doubt, he never visualized gracing the doors of a jail, bound and imprisoned
for committing a crime. Perhaps Joseph estimated this to be the worst
thing that could ever happen to him. But was it?? Let's find out....
But the Lord was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour
in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
At the onset of this bazaar occurrence, the Lord's presence with Joseph
is evident; he is not alone! A child of God is never alone… Yes, the Lord's
mercies were waiting for Joseph in that place of imprisonment and it was
not such a terrible situation as one might have predicted it to be! Not
only that, the prison keeper's heart was primed by the Lord to treat Joseph
favorably. You see, man did not control the atmosphere of this trial at
all, our loving Lord did. Ladies, whatever situation it is we think we
couldn't handle CAN be handled with our heavenly Father! Because his ways
pleased the Lord, God paved the way for Joseph in prison. He is the Warden
of the pure prisoner! In prior days, Joseph had faithfully demonstrated
his loyalty to the Lord and God is now demonstrating His loyalty to Joseph
by tending to all his needs. Remember that, ladies… Our heavenly Father
will always work on our behalf when we live a life that is pleasing to
Him!
Proverbs 16:7
When a man's ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at
peace with him.
Ephes. 6:8
Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive
of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.
As seen in the example of Joseph, you and I don't need a palace - a perfect
setting in which to prosper - we can prosper even in prison, even in the
worst possible setting! Perhaps you feel as if you are a prisoner in a
dreadful situation, held by the cords of affliction - a setting you never
imagined finding yourself in. You CAN handle it, dear lady, but only with
the Lord will you endure till the trial passes! Be certain your ways are
pleasing to God and you will find that His mercies will daily surround
you. Though we might be restricted somewhat in our circumstances, the
Word of God is never restricted; it is never bound and can still comfort,
strengthen and encourage us when we are suffering wrongfully. While we
hope and pray for our early release, you and I can still witness of the
glory of God during our time of captivity!
Genesis 39:22
And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners
that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer
of it. The keeper of the prison looked not to anything that was under
his hand; because the Lord was with him, and that which he did, the Lord
made it to prosper.
Another exciting thing has happened here in prison… The Lord has given
Joseph a ministry, right in the center of his place of arrest! It was
not man that held Joseph in custody but the Lord… Who would have thought
to reach these prisoners in such a unique way but our loving God? There
were inmates all around Joseph, people kept in captivity for one sinful
reason or another. On the other hand, what made Joseph stand out from
all the other convicts was his purity. He was not guilty of committing
a crime - he had peace with God!
Ladies, you and I who have a right relationship with the Lord through
salvation in Christ are free from the law, are we not? However, people
who are still guilty surround us; souls held hostage by their sins need
to be set free! Just as God committed those prisoners into Joseph's hand,
so too, has He committed persons into your hand. Do not let your difficult
circumstances blind you to the fact that you still need to reach out to
others with the truth! The Lord paved the way for Joseph to fully manage
the affairs of the prison; he was wholly entrusted to personally take
charge of every single prisoner. In fact, the Bible says the keeper never
felt the need to check up on Joseph as a supervisor. Don't you find that
a bit of a remarkable arrangement taking place in a penitentiary full
of criminals?? What benefits there are to being highly praised by both
man and God! You see, ladies, Joseph carried a good testimony and created
a godly atmosphere wherever he was located - at home, in a pit, in a palace,
and even in a prison - it did not matter! Prison walls may have limited
his steps physically, but with the Lord, we are never limited spiritually.
In Christ, we are free to climb to unbelievable heights in spite of our
circumstances! God temporarily isolated Joseph from the rest of the world
for specific use. Surely, as a righteous man he would not waste unique
opportunities to bring forth fruit to God's glory.
Psalm 139:7-10
Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell,
behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell
in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me,
and thy right hand shall hold me.
My point today is this, ladies - your place of imprisonment must become
your mission field! Sometimes the Lord restricts our outreach to cause
us to focus on the spiritual progress we need to make. Joseph lived closely
intertwined with the sinful prisoners God intended him to minister to.
What a classroom! As time went on, he probably developed a love for the
men of ill repute he was thrown into close association with. I think we
are safe in assuming those on the wrong side of the law advanced because
of Joseph's godly testimony! What are you going to do while "behind bars",
operating within God's clearly defined boundaries for you at this time
in your life?? Sit and sulk selfishly, or stand and sing the mighty power
of God and spiritually influence those around you?? You know, the Bible
doesn't really state all of what materialized during Joseph's confinement,
but how well do you think he handled this season in his life? My guess
is, that by God's grace, he turned the worst thing that could ever happen
to him into the best!
God Bless,
Pam
Isaiah 60:1&2
Copyright 2000 Pamela A. Iannello
Revised 2003