Monday Reflectio

Monday Reflection – May 17, 2021 Prosperity Even in Prison
The chief jailer paid no heed to anything that was in Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper.Genesis 39:23
To prosper means to succeed financially, flourish physically, and to grow strong and healthy. Willis and Garn indicate that: “When you are happy, when you have enough money and are at peace with how you are earning that money, this leads to the sustainable state that we describe as prosperity.” For Benjamin Hardy, prosperity involves three key things – money, happiness and sustainability. All of these ideas suggest that prosperity involves success and requires an environment that fosters such success.
While prosperity is understood as such in the secular world, this is not so in God’s kingdom. Today’s example of Joseph brings this point home forcefully, for he was in prison yet the Lord made him prosper. Joseph does not fit Hardy’s profile of prosperity for he had no money, he was unlikely not happy, and was not experiencing sustainability. Joseph is in prison because of a false accusation by his master’s wife, who made sexual advances to him that he resisted. A trace of Joseph’s life shows that he went from privilege in his father’s house to the pit his brothers threw him into, to being property in the slave market, to the privilege of managing Potiphar’s house, to the principled stand against temptation, to the perjury of false accusation, and to the prison of Pharaoh.
Though in prison, Joseph did not sit down sullenly in his sorrow, but he stirred himself to make the best of his condition. The chief jailer did not inquire into nor examine Joseph’s conduct and management of things; he took no account of what was in Joseph’s hands, nor required any of him. The jailer was satisfied with what Joseph did, and was very impressed by his prudence and faithfulness. A good man will do good wherever he is, and will be a blessing even in bonds and banishment. Why did Joseph prosper and gain the respect of the jailer? Because God’s presence was with Joseph and His favour was upon him. God supplied Joseph with His grace, giving him wisdom to do everything in the best manner committed to him.
We also see God’s hand and His ultimate plan as God’s story moves forward, putting Joseph in the place where he can save his family and the whole world from coming famine, and prepare a place for them to live with him. The experiences of the pit and the prison were sharpening the administrative skills Joseph needed to one day save his family and to save the whole world. God’s hand was guiding and directing all things. Neither the pit, slavery, nor the prison changed or defeated God’s plan for Joseph’s life. Importantly, this was Joseph’s experience, but God’s story. No matter where life takes us, may we recognize that while we go through the experiences, both good and bad, it is all God’s story, God’s hand, God’s plan.  
So what of prosperity God’s way? It is about submitting to the will of God, experiencing His presence, enabling His plan, and allowing His hand to lead. It matters not where God’s story takes us, once we are in His employ, God honours and prospers our work.
Jermaine Gibson 

n – May 17, 2021 Prosperity Even in Prison
The chief jailer paid no heed to anything that was in Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper.Genesis 39:23
To prosper means to succeed financially, flourish physically, and to grow strong and healthy. Willis and Garn indicate that: “When you are happy, when you have enough money and are at peace with how you are earning that money, this leads to the sustainable state that we describe as prosperity.” For Benjamin Hardy, prosperity involves three key things – money, happiness and sustainability. All of these ideas suggest that prosperity involves success and requires an environment that fosters such success.
While prosperity is understood as such in the secular world, this is not so in God’s kingdom. Today’s example of Joseph brings this point home forcefully, for he was in prison yet the Lord made him prosper. Joseph does not fit Hardy’s profile of prosperity for he had no money, he was unlikely not happy, and was not experiencing sustainability. Joseph is in prison because of a false accusation by his master’s wife, who made sexual advances to him that he resisted. A trace of Joseph’s life shows that he went from privilege in his father’s house to the pit his brothers threw him into, to being property in the slave market, to the privilege of managing Potiphar’s house, to the principled stand against temptation, to the perjury of false accusation, and to the prison of Pharaoh.
Though in prison, Joseph did not sit down sullenly in his sorrow, but he stirred himself to make the best of his condition. The chief jailer did not inquire into nor examine Joseph’s conduct and management of things; he took no account of what was in Joseph’s hands, nor required any of him. The jailer was satisfied with what Joseph did, and was very impressed by his prudence and faithfulness. A good man will do good wherever he is, and will be a blessing even in bonds and banishment. Why did Joseph prosper and gain the respect of the jailer? Because God’s presence was with Joseph and His favour was upon him. God supplied Joseph with His grace, giving him wisdom to do everything in the best manner committed to him.
We also see God’s hand and His ultimate plan as God’s story moves forward, putting Joseph in the place where he can save his family and the whole world from coming famine, and prepare a place for them to live with him. The experiences of the pit and the prison were sharpening the administrative skills Joseph needed to one day save his family and to save the whole world. God’s hand was guiding and directing all things. Neither the pit, slavery, nor the prison changed or defeated God’s plan for Joseph’s life. Importantly, this was Joseph’s experience, but God’s story. No matter where life takes us, may we recognize that while we go through the experiences, both good and bad, it is all God’s story, God’s hand, God’s plan.  
So what of prosperity God’s way? It is about submitting to the will of God, experiencing His presence, enabling His plan, and allowing His hand to lead. It matters not where God’s story takes us, once we are in His employ, God honours and prospers our work.
Jermaine Gibson