Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. – Revelations 3:11 NIV
Life is full of peaks and valleys – meaning, throughout your life you will experience many ups and downs. The key then becomes to not allow yourself to get too high or low because in an instant, your situation can change. So, celebrate the blessings, breakthroughs and relationships you have today because tomorrow, they may be gone.
I tend to look at life through the lens of Joseph’s eyes. Joseph was a dreamer who gained favor with God. Yet, during different stages of his life he found himself in situations and predicaments that would have caused most people to quit. Joseph understood that while the steps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord (Proverbs 37:23), those steps often lead us through pits and prisons before we reach the palace.
Pits
So, when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe… and they took him and threw him into the pit. Now the pit was empty, with no water in it. - Genesis 37:23-24 BSB
Joseph’s brothers hated him because their father favored him. Some people are going to hate you because of the favor God bestows upon you. When Joseph found himself at the bottom of the pit, I am sure he was angry, confused and scared. Maybe, today you find yourself in a pit. In an empty and dry place. Sometimes people push us into a pit but other times through our own words and actions we jump into the pit all on our own. It does not matter how you got into your pit - just as long as you do not stay there. Remember, your pit is not your final destination.
You can’t dig your way out of a pit and if it is deep enough, you won’t be able to climb out, but God is always near enough to reach down and pull you out. No matter how deep your pit is, call out to the Lord in times of trouble and He will deliver you from your distress (Psalm 107:28).
Prisons
When Potiphar heard his wife’s story (that Joseph had tried to sleep with her) … he became very angry. So, Joseph’s master arrested him and put him in prison. While Joseph was in prison, the Lord was with him. The Lord reached out to him with his unchanging love and gave him protection. He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. - Genesis 39:19-21 GW
After being removed from the pit, Joseph was sold to a man named Potiphar. While serving in Potiphar’s house, his wife lied on Joseph. Because of this, Joseph was thrown into jail. What happened to Joseph was unfair and not right. The same may be true for what you are experiencing. It is not fair that you were abandoned. It is not right that you were lied on. It hurts being laid-off, taken advantage of and discarded.
Under the circumstances, it becomes easy to allow anger, hatred, jealousy, fear and offense to take root within you - when you do, you are imprisoning yourself. Your prison is your state of mind after the pit. Some nice, caring, happy individuals go into a pit and come out bitter, angry and vengeful. Do not let your pit to turn into a prison, instead allow God to transform you into a new person, by changing the way you think about your situation (Romans 12:2).
Joseph decided to trust God through the process and God favored him because of it. He did not become mad or despondent nor did he dwell on his past hurts or current circumstances, but he instead allowed God to transform and use him where he was. Let God use you where you are. Let God use you through the divorce. Let God use you while you’re unemployed. Let God use you through the sickness. Let God use you through the loneliness, debt and uncertainty. When you let God use you - He places His love, protection and approval upon you.
Palaces
So, Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of all Egypt and said to him, “I am Pharaoh, but no one will lift a hand or foot in the entire land of Egypt without your approval.” – Genesis 41:43-44 NLT
Joseph did not stay in his pit and he did not allow negative thoughts to imprison him. Because of this, he found favor with both God and man - a favor that led him to the palace. No matter where you find yourself today - either a pit or a prison, place your trust in God and He will bring you to your palace.
Everything you are going through today is leading to a palace - to a breakthrough and blessing you were not anticipating, to a child you didn’t think you would have, to a relationship you did not expect, to a job, promotion or healthy doctors report. So, do not get discouraged and quit before you reach your palace. If you don’t give up prematurely, you will see the manifestation of your dreams and find that the very people who meant to harm you will be the ones bowing before you in the palace.
Life is full of peaks and valleys – meaning, throughout your life you will experience many ups and downs. The key then becomes to not allow yourself to get too high or low because in an instant, your situation can change. So, celebrate the blessings, breakthroughs and relationships you have today because tomorrow, they may be gone.
I tend to look at life through the lens of Joseph’s eyes. Joseph was a dreamer who gained favor with God. Yet, during different stages of his life he found himself in situations and predicaments that would have caused most people to quit. Joseph understood that while the steps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord (Proverbs 37:23), those steps often lead us through pits and prisons before we reach the palace.
Pits
So, when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe… and they took him and threw him into the pit. Now the pit was empty, with no water in it. - Genesis 37:23-24 BSB
Joseph’s brothers hated him because their father favored him. Some people are going to hate you because of the favor God bestows upon you. When Joseph found himself at the bottom of the pit, I am sure he was angry, confused and scared. Maybe, today you find yourself in a pit. In an empty and dry place. Sometimes people push us into a pit but other times through our own words and actions we jump into the pit all on our own. It does not matter how you got into your pit - just as long as you do not stay there. Remember, your pit is not your final destination.
You can’t dig your way out of a pit and if it is deep enough, you won’t be able to climb out, but God is always near enough to reach down and pull you out. No matter how deep your pit is, call out to the Lord in times of trouble and He will deliver you from your distress (Psalm 107:28).
Prisons
When Potiphar heard his wife’s story (that Joseph had tried to sleep with her) … he became very angry. So, Joseph’s master arrested him and put him in prison. While Joseph was in prison, the Lord was with him. The Lord reached out to him with his unchanging love and gave him protection. He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. - Genesis 39:19-21 GW
After being removed from the pit, Joseph was sold to a man named Potiphar. While serving in Potiphar’s house, his wife lied on Joseph. Because of this, Joseph was thrown into jail. What happened to Joseph was unfair and not right. The same may be true for what you are experiencing. It is not fair that you were abandoned. It is not right that you were lied on. It hurts being laid-off, taken advantage of and discarded.
Under the circumstances, it becomes easy to allow anger, hatred, jealousy, fear and offense to take root within you - when you do, you are imprisoning yourself. Your prison is your state of mind after the pit. Some nice, caring, happy individuals go into a pit and come out bitter, angry and vengeful. Do not let your pit to turn into a prison, instead allow God to transform you into a new person, by changing the way you think about your situation (Romans 12:2).
Joseph decided to trust God through the process and God favored him because of it. He did not become mad or despondent nor did he dwell on his past hurts or current circumstances, but he instead allowed God to transform and use him where he was. Let God use you where you are. Let God use you through the divorce. Let God use you while you’re unemployed. Let God use you through the sickness. Let God use you through the loneliness, debt and uncertainty. When you let God use you - He places His love, protection and approval upon you.
Palaces
So, Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of all Egypt and said to him, “I am Pharaoh, but no one will lift a hand or foot in the entire land of Egypt without your approval.” – Genesis 41:43-44 NLT
Joseph did not stay in his pit and he did not allow negative thoughts to imprison him. Because of this, he found favor with both God and man - a favor that led him to the palace. No matter where you find yourself today - either a pit or a prison, place your trust in God and He will bring you to your palace.
Everything you are going through today is leading to a palace - to a breakthrough and blessing you were not anticipating, to a child you didn’t think you would have, to a relationship you did not expect, to a job, promotion or healthy doctors report. So, do not get discouraged and quit before you reach your palace. If you don’t give up prematurely, you will see the manifestation of your dreams and find that the very people who meant to harm you will be the ones bowing before you in the palace.
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