I am always encouraged about the story of Joseph and how he was finally released from prison to reign. There is a summary of this event in Psalm 105:17-22.
"And he sent a man before them— Joseph, sold as a slave. They bruised his feet with shackles, his neck was put in irons, till what he foretold came to pass, till the word of the Lord proved him true. The king sent and released him, the ruler of peoples set him free. He made him master of his household, ruler over all he possessed, to instruct his princes as he pleased and teach his elders wisdom." Psalm 105:17-22
His life is an amazing story full of truth that we too can hide in our hearts to help us in the trials of life. This morning I read again of Joseph's release from prison and his immediate promotion. From the 'Guttermost' to the 'Uttermost' in a day - amazing. It always fascinates me that Pharaoh, who didn't know Joseph beforehand, exalted him to 2nd in charge of Egypt after he'd interpreted Pharaoh's dream. How did Pharaoh know that it was all going to happen just as Joseph said? There were still 14 years to go before the interpretation was fulfilled. How did he know that Joseph wasn't a false Prophet who wanted to get out of jail fast? Joseph may have got the 7 years of plenty right but ended up wrong with the 7 years of famine. I have seen many ministers predict (bad) things over the years and most of them have been wrong or at the best only half right.
Have you ever wondered what Joseph did about Potiphar's wife once he came to power? She had had him put in jail under false pretences. Maybe he did nothing, but she would have lived in fear of her life for the rest of her days.
What always encourages me about Joseph, is how he was suddenly taken from prison and blessed beyond his wildest dreams, in an instant. He had been in that hard place for so long, with no way of getting out. He was surely tried. If it can happen for him then it can also happen for us too - amen? King David prayed that we would be released from our 'prisons' into a large place surrounded by the goodness of God.
"Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name. Then the righteous will gather about me because of your goodness to me." Psalm 142:7
Do you feel like you are in a prison today? Maybe your soul is in prison. Have you been trusting God to release you but nothing has happened up until now? You may have remained faithful under trial and kept up your witness, but still nothing has happened. God has your number too and can release you when He sees fit. This was now Joseph's time to be favoured, and so can it be with you.
"For it is time to show favour." Psalm 102:13
"For he says, "In the time of my favour I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's favour, now is the day of salvation." 2 Corinthians 6:2
The favour of God can carry you from your present situation into your God ordained destiny and you can't get there without His favour. In spite of Joseph's family's rejection and the lies of Potiphar's wife, the favour of God took Joseph from a prison to a palace in less than 24 hours (Genesis 41).
God's favour can also change your situation in an instant, so be encouraged. Look at Ruth in the bible; she was widowed, impoverished and living in a foreign country, yet she remained faithful to God. Instead of giving in to despair and resentment, she decided to get up and start again. Before it was all over, she became 'the boss's wife' (Ruth 4:13). Boy that's favour! Your Bible is filled with such stories. Favour is not an accident or a lucky break it's an act of God. Listen,
"...all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shall hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God" (Deut 28.2).
Obedience brings the favour of God. Ask Him today to help you see the areas where His favour is already at work in your life. As you acknowledge it in the small things, it will increase. Look to see who God using to bless you right now? Stop building walls to keep them out. Open your arms to them. If there is known sin in your life, get rid of it. Release all your fears and get ready to receive His favour - for He longs to show it to you today.
I have never been to prison for a crime, but I did spend a year in the Rhodesia Army and it wasn't what I called freedom. Sometimes it felt like I was in a prison, but oh what joy it was to be released and go back out on the street again and wear civilian clothes, enjoying all the pleasures of civilian life. I would dream of that release date. That dream kept me going when things were tough. Joseph held onto his dream when he was in prison and it kept him going in those tough times. We also need to keep our dreams alive. Keep dreaming and trust in the faithfulness of God.
God gave Joseph two dreams: in the first one, sheaves of wheat bowed down to his; and in the second dream, other stars bowed down to his. Note that his dreams grew progressively higher, from sheaves to stars. Most creative people intuitively understand the importance of dreaming as a process for inspiration, motivation and fulfilment.
George Lucas, creator and producer of the movie ‘Star Wars’, says that one thing that kept him and his colleagues going during the difficult times was this: ‘We were always dreaming of how it was going to be.’ If you are not a naturally creative person, then you have to learn how to keep dreaming and if you can do it with a sense of humour, that really helps.
There’s a story about a student riding a bicycle on a college campus. On his tee shirt was the message: ‘I am going to be a doctor,’ and on his bike was a sign that said: ‘I am going to be a Mercedes.’ That’s somebody who had learned to keep dreaming!
Andrew Carnegie, who was a Christian philanthropist during the early 1900s, said, ‘If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy, and inspires your hopes.’ In other words—keep your dream alive and it will keep you alive.
Before Joseph’s father died, he prayed over all of his 12 sons. Joseph received a blessing from his father Jacob, which in a sense had already become a part of his life. Why don’t you pray this blessing over your life today? I call it the Joseph Blessing.
“Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine near a spring, whose branches climb over a wall. With bitterness archers attacked him; they shot at him with hostility. But his bow remained steady, his strong arms stayed limber, because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, because of your father’s God, who helps you, because of the Almighty, who blesses you with blessings of the heavens above, blessings of the deep that lies below, blessings of the breast and womb. Your father’s blessings are greater than the blessings of the ancient mountains, than the bounty of the age-old hills. Let all these rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince among his brothers." Genesis 49:22-26
Let’s ask God to make us a fruitful vine with plenty of anointing. May we not just be confined to a small area either but our branches go over the wall and reach many. We may be under attack at times, but we will not buckle for we are more than conquerors through our God. May we not only have the blessings of heaven above upon us but also the blessings of the earth beneath. This blessing of the breast and womb is not just for childbearing mothers, but for our ability to nourish others and always birth new things.
God has wonderful blessings in store for His Children and will also set our souls out of prison. We need to believe it, and embrace it! Do you remember the theme song from ‘Annie’? "Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love you tomorrow, you're only a day away." If what God has promised you hasn't happened yesterday or today then get excited about tomorrow for its only a day away. Don't quit and don't run. If you aren't out of prison yet, that means you not only have a past and a present - you have a future as well. Now there's something to think about.