He Was There In The Prison

Scripture: Genesis 39:20 "Then Joseph's master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the kings prisoners were confined. And he was there in the prison."

Observation: "Joseph's master" - in reality Joseph's master was God and indeed his Master put him in prison.

"He was there in the prison." Don't ever be misled about this - God has me where I am. As difficult as that is to accept and often I ascribe evil to my situation or unfortunate circumstance, yet all things are in God's hand. Repeatedly we read "Here I am!" (Joseph, Moses, Abraham, Samuel, Isaac, Jacob each said it.) Each time the person was called, it required an act of will to respond.

Application: God is my Master and has all things in His hand and all things come from His hand. He is an all-knowing, not reactionary. He moves the world as He sees fit - for His glory and for our good (because that brings Him glory).

I may very well feel like I am "there in the prison" or multiple prisons. The truth is that I, no one, am not outside of His will but rather I am in it. My responsibilities then include the response that moves by faith toward God. If I truly find myself in prison then God is working for a purpose in that, too. Again, I must utilize the will which God has given me. At the end of the day I cannot point fingers at a God who has lovingly waited for me to cling to Him and blame my lack of response on Him.

Everyone has been given all the evidence necessary to respond to God in faith. Salvation is not restrained from anyone. YOU THERE! - the one resisting the Lord - you can right now, today, submit to God and be saved. Or you can submit to God and move forward in faith through the circumstance that you are experiencing toward the end that God has in store for you.  Don't sit in apathy or rebellion! The Lord loves you and is patient with you. He's calling you into an all-satisfying relationship with Him, but you must use your will and act by responding to His call.