We all go through seasons of personal storms, trials, prisons…seasons of pain.
Yes, sometimes the reason could be punishment for sins we have committed, but many times it’s not.
Think about Joseph in Genesis Chapters 37-50. He was sold by his brothers into slavery and while loyally serving in the house of a powerful, wealthy man named Potiphar, he was falsely accused of sexually assaulting Potiphar’s wife and thrown into prison. Joseph’s ‘reward’ for resisting Potiphar’s wife’s aggressive advances was prison.
Was God punishing Joseph?
No, He was positioning him.
The prison was Joseph’s gate to the palace. The prison is where his faith was established even more and his gift of interpreting dreams was recognized. The prison is where he was forgotten by those he helped, but was later remembered and given an opportunity to allow his gift to lift him to a position of honor and influence. The prison was from where Joseph was lifted to save his family, the same brothers who hated him, from starvation.
So, when you find yourself in a ‘personal prison’ don’t give in to depression, despair, hopelessness and helplessness.
Trust God through Yeshua (Jesus Christ) and His process. Be faithful and look for opportunities to share what He’s placed inside you.
If you’re in a personal prison right now, read Genesis 37-50 again with a fresh perspective. And remember this…
God may not be punishing you, but positioning you to fulfill His purpose for your life.
Romans 8:28 (NKJV)
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
I read Ps 66 yesterday.
For You, O God, have tested us;
You have refined us as silver is refined.
You brought us into the net;
You laid affliction on our backs.
You have caused men to ride over our heads;
We went through fire and through water;
But You brought us out to rich fulfillment.
Psalm 66:10-12 New King James Version (NKJV)
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I LOVE that Psalm!
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