“When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, ‘This is how your slave treated me,’ he burned with anger. Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined.” — Genesis 39:19-20
The Breakthrough
The story of Joseph is fascinating. This is the end result of Joseph refusing to commit sin and sleep with Potiphar’s wife. Joseph was loyal, obedient to God, faithful to Potiphar and did everything that was expected of him, but still found himself in prison.
To the outside world, it looked like God was punishing him, but ultimately He was preparing him. See, prison is where Joseph needed to go in order to receive his breakthrough.
I’m sure so many of us have dealt with being sent to “prison” in our lives. When I went through my divorce, I was devastated. I expected to be married with kids and have the white-picket-fence house, playdates with neighbors and coach my kids in sports. What I discovered instead was a life living in a small room, with no money, a broken man with his kids an hour away. I had been sent to “prison.” But God does something beautiful in our brokenness and in our desolate places. He prepares us. He nurtures us. He sets us up for what He has prepared specifically for us.
Joseph could not become second in charge of Egypt nor escape the life he was living without going to prison. This was the only way to get there. None of us want to go through setbacks, failed dreams, broken relationships and pain. But all of these events you have endured have been necessary to set you up for what God has for you. They are going to get you to your calling. They are going to build you up for future success.
Let’s change our perspective on our past and thank God for preparing us for our future. No matter what we have to endure still or have already, praise God in advance for the breakthrough that is coming.
Joseph woke up in prison one morning and by night was sleeping in the palace. God has done it for Joseph and he will do it for You.
— Erik Olson, Pass the Rock Ministries founder
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