Then Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were confined. And he was there in the prison. But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 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: 20-23, NKJV.
Merciful Father, as we begin a new year, we pray that You will bless and prosper the work of our hands. If there are lessons that we must learn in order for this to happen, then teach us these lessons and help us to obey You. In the name of Jesus Christ Your Son we pray. Amen.
Yesterday, our study centered around the fact that wherever Joseph went, the LORD was with him. Not only that, others were aware that the LORD was with him! Today we are going to observe how the LORD blessed the work of His hands.
In Psalm 1, we read the following: Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers” (1-3, emphasis provided).
I have said this before, but I believe it is worth saying again: Salvation is free, to us. But there are things that we can do to encourage our blessings. The Psalm we just read talks about the person who does not walk, stand, or sit, in places of unrighteousness. To the contrary, he or she finds their delight in God’s law, and are constantly meditating in it. In other words, they have chosen the way of the LORD!
Mrs. Potiphar tried to get Joseph to walk in her ungodly counsel of adultery. But his response to her speaks eloquently of what he delighted in, “he told her, ‘ “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God” ‘ ” (8b, 9)?
His thoughts were of the LORD, and whatever he did, he obviously did it to bring honor to God! Like the psalmist, he knew that God was leading him “in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake” (Psalm 23: 3b). God knew that He could prosper the works of Joseph’s hands because he was walking according to His will, and would use his blessings to bring Him glory! Therefore, even in prison, God was able to bless him. He was truly like a fertile tree, “planted by streams of water.” Not even the confinement of a prison could cause his “leaves” to “wither.”
So God took him out of prison. He was now ready to go several levels higher. He had “been faithful over a few things. [God would] make [him] ruler over many things” (Matthew 25: 23). He would now go from the prison to the palace, and beyond: “Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘ “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you. So Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘ “I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt. . . ‘ “I am Pharaoh, but without your word no one will lift hand or foot in all Egypt” ‘ ” (Psalm 39: 39-41, 44).
Dear friends, I am convinced that God is more willing to bless us than we are, to ask His blessings! I am further convinced, that during this new year, He is waiting to pour out His blessings upon us, and “prosper” the work of our hands, if we will walk according to His will.