Message – 12.12.2020
Gen 39:21-23 But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever was done there, he was the one who did it. The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph’s charge, because the LORD was with him. And whatever he did, the LORD made it succeed.
Last week we meditated upon how Joseph was a successful man in the house of his Egyptian Master Potiphar. But the enemy was jealous of him and trapped him so that he ended up in prison.
But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. Let us see the 10 blessings Joseph received in the prison
- The LORD was with Joseph
- The Lord showed him steadfast love
- The Lord gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
- The keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison.
- Whatever was done there, Joseph was the one who did it.
- The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph’s charge, because the LORD was with him.
- And whatever Joseph did, the LORD made it succeed.
- When the chief cupbearer and the chief baker were imprisoned, the captain of the guard appointed Joseph to be with them
- Joseph attended them. They continued in his custody. Gen 40:4
- The Lord gave him the gift of interpreting dreams which was activated in the prison. Gen 40:8,12,18,22
Dear Soldier,
After you have been recruited into the Army and anointed, you can go to any place, to the palace , to the prison, to the desert, to the mountains, to the depths of the sea, you will flourish there because God is with you. You might be thrown into prison, you will sing and bring deliverance there.
Joseph was in prison. Let’s see, how he executed the responsibility there.
He was given charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison.
Joseph did not worry about his condition but took care of all the prisoners with fatherly, brotherly care.
Gen 40:7 So he asked Pharaoh’s officers who were with him in custody in his master’s house, “Why are your faces downcast today?”
They did not come to him to tell about the dreams. Joseph seeing their downcast face volunteered to enquire.
Do you look at the face of your SMPs, SMLAs every day. Are you able to read the troubles, sorrows, disappointments, rejections, despair they are in. You should voluntarily go to them to ask, “Why are your faces downcast today”
There are thousands of faces around us, which are “downcast”.
The first and foremost responsibility of the Regional Coordinator is reading these faces which are “downcast”.
Don’t be worrying about your troubles, the miseries we are in. Your face should be set towards those who are around you.
There is somebody in your family or workplace (your child, mom, dad, wife, husband, co-worker, neighbour, servant, clerk,) waiting to hear these words from your mouth,
“Why are your faces downcast today”?
You are the one whom the Lord has appointed to give heavenly interpretation
- To the dreams they have seen
- To problem they are facing,
- To the horrible situation they are in
- To the brokenness in their lives
- To the Word they have received.
Joseph’s gift of interpreting dreams was manifested first in the prison, not in the palace. It was not recognized by anyone. He was rejected and his gift was also neglected.
Gen 40:21-23 He restored the chief cupbearer to his position, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand. But he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them. Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.
Are you also neglected. Don’t worry. All your gifts are given by the Lord. He knows when to utilize them, where to utilize them.
We see people around us, when they recognize that they have been given gifts of the Holy Spirit, and they have not been recognized, they resort to wrong methods like start selling it for money (prophesying for money, Healing for money etc).
Joseph was one of the greatest interpreters of dreams like Daniel ever raised by God in all generations. But he was neglected and his gift of interpretation went unrecognized for years since he was a prisoner.
Dear soldier, many a times we are also in the prison which we have made for ourselves by unforgiving, by the negative feelings of bitterness, enmity, jealousy, heavy heartedness, etc.
That might be the reason our gifts go unrecognized and wasted.
Holy Spirit the giver of all gifts, the controller of human history, knew how to bring out the gift in Joseph for the welfare of Egypt.
God Himself created the best opportunity to reveal the gift in Joseph by giving a dream to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt.
Joseph’s interpretation was so amazing, accurate, timely that pharaoh was carried away to the extent of handing over his whole power and authority along with the signet ring, to a prisoner boy.
“If it happens to our country today,!”
A believer taken to the Parliament or Supreme Court to testify the Lord.?
What will be the result.?
Pro 21:1 The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will.