TODAY’S SCRIPTURE Genesis 39:7-23
Have you ever run into someone you know in an unfamiliar context? Maybe you saw your third grade teacher in the grocery store or you ran into your dentist at a basketball game. It often takes us a few minutes to place that person, even someone we would know immediately in different surroundings. It can be difficult to recognize a person who shows up in an unlikely place.
Grace can work the same way. In Genesis 39, the grace of God shows up in an unlikely location––a prison cell. Although the New Testament reveals the grace of salvation in Jesus Christ, the grace of God toward humanity is seen all throughout Scripture. The Old Testament often uses the word favor to describe God’s kindness, and in Genesis 39:21, Joseph receives God’s favor.
Prison probably didn’t feel like a blessing from God. Joseph has gone from being his father’s pride and joy to being framed and imprisoned. When he sits in jail, is he tempted to give in to bitterness? He doesn’t know that his brothers have deceived his father; does he ever wonder why Jacob is not coming to his rescue?
But God is with him. That prison allows Joseph to come into contact with the Pharaoh’s baker and cupbearer, interpret their dreams, and eventually become second in command to Pharaoh. He could then encounter his brothers and provide for his family during a famine. None of this would have been possible without Joseph’s time in prison. As he would explain to his brothers, God used his circumstances for good. In our lives, let’s be sure to look for grace in unlikely places.
Today, I will…think of a time when God showed me grace during a difficult time in my life and say a prayer of thanksgiving to God for His kindness.