Do not resign your will to situations and circumstances that seek to terminate your destiny. Fight the good fight of faith with God’s Word. Remember who you are no matter how difficult your circumstances may be. Don’t give up on yourself.
The dream of glory will always be challenged by the forces of in-glory. There are beasts lined up to devour you and your dream from the pit to even the palace. Joseph did not give up in the pit. He did not give up in prison. He cried and pleaded with his brother when he was thrown into the pit. Their original intention was to kill him. Who knows if it was not his pleadings that softened the heart of Judah to suggest the alternative of selling Joseph to make “profit. ”
Joseph did not give up in prison. Although he was imprisoned on a false testimony, he refused to be bitter. God was with Joseph in prison. The Lord showed him mercy and gave him favour with the prison officials. “And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his doing. The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph’s authority, because the LORD was with him; and whatever he did, the LORD made it prosper” (Genesis 39:22-23).
Joseph did not give up when the Butler, whose dream he accurately interpreted, disappointed him. “Then the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, “Behold, in my dream a vine was before me, and in the vine were three branches; it was as though it budded, its blossoms shot forth, and its clusters brought forth ripe grapes. Then Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand; and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand. And Joseph said to him, this is the interpretation of it: The three branches are three days. Now within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your place, and you will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand according to the former manner, when you were his butler. But remember me when it is well with you, and please show kindness to me; make mention of me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this house. For indeed I was stolen away from the land of the Hebrews; and also I have done nothing here that they should put me into the dungeon…Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him” (Genesis 40:9-15, 23).
Most people will be offended by the action of the Chief Butler, but not Joseph. He did not give up hope, even when he was forgotten, irrespective of his good works.
Men may forget you but God will always remember your labour of love. So don’t give up. Be a Joseph – wait for the Pharaoh appointed to take you out of prison to the palace. Your day will come. “But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place” (Isaiah 43:1-3).
