Pen Pals

“Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison.”   Genesis 39:20

William Congreve was right.  “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned,” and Potiphar’s wife was living proof.  Angered by Joseph’s refusal to rendezvous, she accused him of attempted rape and submitted his coat as evidence.  Since slaves had no defense and the deed appeared undeniable, Joseph was slung in the slammer. 

Where was God when Joseph was unjustly punished?  What was He doing as Joseph did time for an uncommitted crime?  Is this the way God treats his faithful children?  Prison seems a poor reward for choosing right over wrong. 

But the jail cell was just where God wanted Joseph.  In prison he was protected from Mrs. Potiphar.  She couldn’t sink her claws into his cloak or his conscience while he was behind bars.  And although Joseph was locked inside, God wasn’t banned to the outside.  “But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him”(Gen. 39:21).   In the injury of injustice, he was never alone.  God was his constant companion and his comfort.

God was in control, using Joseph’s jail time to prepare him for future responsibilities. “God showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there”(Gen 39:21-22). The administrative skills learned at Potiphar’s house were sharpened and strengthened as Joseph managed the angry and afraid inmates.

The distress of those incarcerated with him became an opportunity for Joseph to show compassion.  “When Joseph came to them [two of the prisoners] the next morning, he saw that they were dejected.”  He connected with their concerns because of the ache in his own soul, and he showed them he cared.  “So he asked them, ‘Why are your faces so sad today?’”(Gen. 40:7).  Eventually, God used the contacts made in prison to provide Joseph’s way out of jail and into Pharaoh’s court, but his days in custody made a difference for the rest of his life.

Our prison days have a purpose.  A miscarriage of justice doesn’t mess up God’s plan.  He is sovereign and sure of what He allows.  When you suffer because of someone else, don’t cower in your cell under a blanket of bitterness.  You might pay a penalty you don’t deserve, but there can be gain in the pain and God’s presence will become more precious.  He can use your isolation to insulate you from further anguish, and He will prepare you for the next part of His plan.  Your distress can give you empathy to reach out and relate to others whose hearts are also hurting, and, in His timing, God will provide the way out by His gracious work in you and through you.

God can do a lot when we’re doing time.

Don’t get tough.  Let Him make you tender. And always trust.