If You Feel Imprisoned

“Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined. But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.”  

Genesis 39:20–21 

I may not be in prison, but I understand a life sentence of confinement. Quadriplegia can often feel like incarceration, for I carry around my own set of bolts and bars wherever I wheel my chair. Yet here is something strange: my “prison” is the very thing God has used to set me free. It’s why I am always buoyed up by today’s Scripture: “While Joseph was there in prison, the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.”  

God did three amazing things while Joseph was in prison: (1) God was with him; (2) He showed him unceasing kindness; and (3) He granted him favor. If you are suffering in pain and confinement with patience and a godly response, God will do for you what He did for Joseph. Look to your Deliverer; He will always be with you, show you kindness, and grant you great favor. 

Lord, I know Joseph didn’t want to be in prison. But he knew that he wasn’t alone. You were with him. You hadn’t forgotten or abandoned him. In spite of the harsh, gloomy conditions, he experienced Your presence, kindness, and favor. And so it has been with me. I can endure confinement if the unlimited Lord of All is with me.