Finding Liberty in our Limitations

The Shocking Message



These weekly devotionals I will be posting come from and are copyright to Pam Iannello, my pastor's late wife who went home to be with the Lord on June 18, 2008.


Learning how to face our family problems through an in-depth study of the troubled home of Joseph.




This devotion is part of the "Family Problems" series.


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 Meet Ms. Pam

Other Rise and Shine Devotionals
New Beginnings Baptist Church Website