Have you ever imagined that your imprisonment may be the outlet or channel by which God’s favor is bestowed upon you? I’m talking about both real and imaginary prison. That means the turmoil you are living in is actually the outlet by which God is intending to bless you. Maybe you’re not in turmoil now, but you were in turmoil previously, if you think back on that experience you may or may not recognize God’s blessing through that event, but I guarantee you that His grace was there and you experienced it.
And Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined, and he was there in prison. But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. (Genesis 39:20-21)
Joseph’s lot was rough. He was sold into slavery by his older brothers. Then, as soon as things started to look upward for him, he was accused of rape and thrown into prison. It’s a pretty bad lot for somebody who hasn’t committed any atrocious crime. But look at what is written here in this passage about when Joseph was in prison: “the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love….” Joseph’s situation was undoubtedly horrible. He was jailed without a trial and it only began because his dad sent him out to hang out with his older brothers. Let’s not get mad at his older brothers, nor should we get mad at his slave master that threw him into jail. Honestly, the situation is what it was. He could cry about it, but honestly, nobody was listening because he was in prison. See, what matters is not the situation you are in. The situation is unchangeable. It holds you prisoner and to no your fault of your own, you’re there. What matters is that even in those situations where your world is prison, God shows you and me steadfast love. That steadfast love comes in the form of favor. That favor may come from your neighbor, your spouse, your colleagues, or even a stranger, but there is favor. That favor may be a different favor than what you expected, but God’s love is often manifested through a path not beaten. Your prison: the emotional hurts you have, the medical condition, the financial deficiency, the relational turmoil, whatever it is, will be an outlet for God’s favor. Just look for it.
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