From Prisoner to Royalty

 

Whew it has been a hot minute since I have been able to share my heart here. As you know, we moved back to Ohio in January and life has been CRAZY BUSY! I took a job in March working as a 3rd grade tutor at a nearby elementary school. My time got incredibly busy as I would wake up at 5 am to work out, head to work until 3:20 and then I had 30 minutes to make it to my kid’s school to pick them up. We would come home, exchange hugs, make a quick dinner while doing homework and head to softball and t-ball practices and games. By the time we came home from all of the things it was time for showers and bed. My question is, can you relate? 

Life is sweet with memories when we are busy but it can also be a whirlwind of activities and chaos. We took the recipe of busyness and added the ingredient of moving states and that was a detail of change that was challenging. I have had a longing in my heart for time to slow down, even if just for the season of summer. I have missed writing my thoughts here but by the time my head hit the pillow at night I had nothing left to give. I am currently on summer break with my kiddos and my longing to hop on here today to share my latest thoughts consumed me as I got ready for the day…so, here I am writing to you in hopes to encourage you. If you have found yourself in the prison of busyness, the longing for a rich life or have found that your dreams have been dashed and forgotten, may this story of Joseph’s life remind you that it is possible to go from prisoner to royalty all within 24 hours of time. God can sweep in when we least expect him and slow down our lives, pick up the pieces of our shattered dreams and put them together in a way that is unexpected, renewing and glorifying to His name.

We have enjoyed being back in Ohio and living near family but life does not always go as we think or dreamed. As I write I am sitting in our rental house that has been without air conditioning for close to 7 weeks now. The first time the men came out to look at our air situation we were about to head into some excessive heat warning weeks. They told us our compressor was out and that it could be 3 days or 3 weeks but there was no way to know. They then told us that we cannot call them but that they would call us. Don’t we love that phrase? =) I clearly stated, “I hope that the time will be closer to 3 days rather than 3 weeks because it will be very hot and we have three small children.” He told me and I quote, “You could always go to a store and buy a $30 pool and spray your kids off with the hose.” My thought immediately was, “Yes, this will work in the middle of the night when it is a million degrees in the house.” Here we are close to 7 weeks and our air is still not fixed but I had a thought the day these men from the rental company came and it is what I have clung to this summer, “God will provide, he always has and he always will. Provision does not always mean comfort though.” I have had this thought on repeat over and over again as God’s provision comes but does not always look as I had thought it would or should.

This is what God’s provision has looked like in this time. God provided a window unit from my sister in law Amy. Our house in the evening would reach 85 degrees but in the morning it could be between 68 and 73 degrees. We then thought how much cooler it would be in our home if we had two window units. We had some friends find out our need and they lent us another window unit just as I came down with COVID. Again, this was God’s provision in a hard time. God has always provided but it does not always mean my comfort.  

I have been studying the book of Genesis and the life of Joseph. As we live in the unknown of what is or what will be I was reminded of a man who lived a long time ago whose name was Joseph. I was struck as I sat down Sunday morning with my daily mug of coffee and cream to study Joseph’s life. Joseph was given a dream when he was young that one day his brothers would bow down to him. He was going to be someone successful and possibly powerful. He did not know the details but he knew this dream was more than a dream and that it would actually come to fruition. In the meantime, he shared his dream with his brothers and they grew so jealous they plotted to murder him. One of the brothers took heart and convinced the others to throw him into a pit and sell him into slavery rather than kill him in cold blood.  

Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers! At this point he was probably so distraught and betrayed that his dream was no longer thought of as possible but merely thought of as “just a silly dream.” Do you have dreams that you once believed were God given but yet now have been lost to the idea of “just a silly dream?” 

Joseph watched the freedoms of his life slip through his fingertips as he was sold into slavery to a man named Potiphar. Even in slavery, Joseph remained faithful and he became successful in the house of Potiphar, his Egyptian master. 

Genesis 39:2-5:

The LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man; he was in the house of his Egyptian master. His master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD caused all that he did to prosper in his hands. So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him; he made him overseer in his house and over all that he had, the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; the blessing of the LORD was on all that he had, in house and field. 

Joseph remained faithful to the LORD despite his circumstance and the LORD and others took notice and he was successful. Could he then begin to see his dream coming to fruition again? Was this more than just a dream? Would he one day see his family again and they would bow down to him? As others took notice of Joseph so did someone else and that someone was Potiphar’s wife. Scripture tells us that Joseph was handsome and he was successful. Potiphar’s wife continually tried to seduce Joseph but Joseph stayed faithful to the LORD and to his master and he remained an honorable man. This honor and faithfulness angered Potiphar’s wife. In her anger she conjured up a lie that Joseph tried to take advantage of her. In a moment, Joseph and all he had gained was ripped from him and he was thrown in prison. 

How confusing this could be for a man with a dream, vision, success and a man of faith who continuously remained faithful to God even when literally in the pit and in the chains of slavery. He had done all that God has asked of him, he did the right thing by not sleeping with Potiphar’s wife, he was good and honorable. “God where are you? Why are my dreams not coming true?” Rather than give into the questions and doubts Joseph remained faithful in the pit, Joseph remained faithful in slavery and Joseph remained faithful even in prison. 

Genesis 39:21-23

But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love; he gave him favor in the sight of the chief jailer. The chief jailer committed to Joseph’s care all the prisoners who were in prison, and whatever was done there, he was the one who did it. The chief jailer paid no heed to anything that was in Joseph’s care, because the LORD was with him; and whatever he did, the LORD made it prosper.

God took what the enemy meant for evil and turned it for good. In bleak times in the pit, in slavery and in jail God took the situations that were dark, dirty, confining and turned them into prosperous places. Joseph stayed faithful and because of that he got to see with his own eyes how God can turn a desperate situation into a place of success, even jail. There is no climbing the ladder in jail, but with God there is always a way where there seems to be no way. 

One day, while in prison, Joseph, with the help of the LORD, interpreted two prisoners dreams. Both dreams came to fruition. One prisoner, the cupbearer,  was restored to his position in the Pharaoh’s palace while the other prisoner, the baker,  was sentenced to death. Joseph sought the LORD and could interpret their dreams and he saw this as a chance to potentially get out of prison. He asked the cupbearer to remember him but as soon as the cupbearer was restored he forgot about Joseph for TWO WHOLE YEARS.  Then, one day the Pharaoh had a dream that no one could interpret. The cupbearer finally remembered Joseph and Joseph was called to clean himself up, shower away the dirtiness of prison, to shave his beard and then was given the invitation to speak with the Pharaoh. 

The news Joseph would give to the Pharaoh was not wonderful news. Hard times were coming for the Egyptians in the form of a famine. Joseph could have lost his life for this interpretation and he knew this because Pharoah had sentenced prisoners to death before, prisoners such as the baker that he knew and remembered well. Joseph remained faithful yet again. He told the interpretation honestly and bravely. In this moment Joseph was taken from prison and set in a position of royalty. 

Genesis 41:39-45:

So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command; only with regard to the throne will I be greater than you.”  And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over al the land of Egypt.” Removing his signet ring from his hand, Pharaoh put it on Joseph’s hand; he arrayed him in garments of fine linen, and put a gold chain around his neck. He had him ride in the chariot of his second-in-command; and they cried out in front of him, “Bow the knee!” Thus he set him over all the land of Egypt. Moreover Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no one shall lift up hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” 

Joseph went from the rags of prison to riches in 24 hours time. He was given a royal robe, signet ring, and authority to rule over the land and Pharoah’s people. And guess what! Joseph’s brothers did eventually come and bow before Joseph because they needed food during this famine. Bam! His dream became reality. God provided, but his provision was not always in the name of comfort. They were all living through a famine. This story caused me to question what prison I am currently in that can be changed within 24 hours of time.

 I was inspired by Joseph to remain faithful to Jesus when I find myself living in a pit of despair, in the slavery of sins that entangle, while living in an 85 degree house for weeks on end and while living in the imprisonment and confinement of dreams dashed because dreams can be restored, people can be saved from the pit, air conditioning can be fixed and I can be freed from the slavery I have found myself entangled  in but with one word from Jesus prison walls can fall. Jesus brings healing, freedom, restoration and the keys to our prison doors. Jesus sustains, Jesus is faithful and he is present through it all and he is turning it around. God is faithful and he provides always in his timing and it does not always mean I will be comfortable and cushy but if I remain faithful through it all I will get to see a story unravel that is unlike anything I could write myself. May we remain faithful today so we can see God move in miraculous ways tomorrow. May we remain faithful today so that our prison rags can be exchanged for royal robes. May we remain faithful today and witness our God given dreams become reality. Point is, remain faithful.