Read Genesis Chapter 39
Key Verse: “20 Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined.”
Observation: Joseph gets a bad rap on so many fronts. First, he was born to Jacob’s favorite wife so out of the gate he was not liked by his brothers, then God gave him dreams that his brothers hated him for, he was then sold into slavery for nothing he had done except for who he was, and then he was thrown into prison for actually doing what was right. From the time lapse between these chapters, he was stuck in prison for a very long time… basically forgotten. If anyone had a reason for a pity party it was Joseph and yet he did not. Joseph just picks up the pieces and goes about working with the cards he was dealt and God rewards his efforts.
Application: Who am I to grumble about my circumstances? As I consider my life, life has not been too bad! I have a nice house to live in, the cops have not been called on me for doing what is right, I am not in prison, and I am pretty free to do as I please when I please. Compared to what Joseph was going through, we have no room to throw a pity party for ourselves.
Prayer: God, help us to get over ourselves. Help us to be more like Joseph who made the best of some very difficult situations. Help us to stop complaining as you enable us to grow in our ability to simply deal with the hands we have been dealt.
