TODAY IS…

the perfect day to turn your prison into paradise.

“So Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.’”  Genesis 41:41 NIV

Have any of us experienced the level of difficulty in our lives that was experienced by Joseph? What a remarkably perfect example of how to handle adversity!

While it is true that his initial arrogance born of his youthful pride caused Joseph’s brothers to conspire against him, the way Joseph conducted himself from that point forward should be an example each one of us should strive to replicate.

Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers, resold to the captain of the guard for Pharaoh, was thrown into prison, and was forgotten by those he helped. Despite all of that Joseph always responded to negative situations with a positive attitude.

In the end, it became apparent to everyone, including Pharaoh that God was watching over Joseph. “So Pharaoh asked them, ‘Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God?’” (Genesis 41:38 NIV).

Joseph went on to become second only to the king of Egypt in importance and, ultimately, was in a position to reconcile with his brothers and show them that he loved them and harbored no ill will.

The question we must ask is this: Did Joseph have a positive attitude because God was watching over him, or was God watching over him because he had a positive attitude and always did what was right in God’s eyes?

Joseph always made the best of a bad situation, turning the prison of his adversity into a paradise of positive thought, positive action, and a life guided by God. It could not have been easy for Joseph. How great his faith must have been that he always knew the Lord was with him and would always stay with him if he never gave up, never gave in, and never stopped believing in the goodness of the Lord.

None of us would like to be treated in the manner in which Joseph was treated. None of us would want to go to prison for doing the right thing after being sold into slavery by our own family. But each one of us can find inspiration in the story of Joseph and how he turned prison into paradise.

No matter what trials and tribulations are before us, each one of us can do the same thing.

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson