The lesson of Joseph is for everyone. It’s not just for people in a wheelchair or confined by hard circumstances. If you are suffering in any kind of restriction, trust and obey God the same way Joseph did.
My wheelchair is the prison that God used to set me free.
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and I used to say that to inmates when I would speak in prisons across the country. Because these men seemed to listen intently to me, a woman who could not use her arms or legs. A person who was confined as they were [or at least in some ways]. Well, my wheelchair is not really a prison, but I understand a life sentence of confinement. Sometimes my quadriplegia can feel so restricting, so suffocating, and confining. Yet as I say, my “prison” is the very thing God used to set me free. And, oh, how I have enjoyed meeting God in the confines of my disability. God has never failed to show me his favor. And for this reason, it’s why I’ve always loved reading about the prison years of Joseph in the Bible. And you know his story well. Joseph, the son of Jacob, had been carried to Egypt where he rose to a prominent position in Pharaoh’s household. But it was there Joseph was falsely accused of a crime that landed him in a dungeon. But, let me read from Genesis 39 where it says, “While Joseph was in prison, the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the warden.”
Wow! God did three amazing things while Joseph was in prison. First, it says that God was with him. Next, God showed Joseph unceasing kindness; and third, God granted Joseph favor. Now, remember that all this transpired over the span of two long years of prison confinement for Joseph. And I think this is why I resonate with this story. Over the many years of quadriplegia, God has been with me. He has never left my side, nor has he forsaken me. Thankfully, there has been no “dark night of the soul” when I did not experience the Lord’s presence. All this time in my wheelchair, the Lord has been by my side. Next, in all these many years of paralysis, God has shown me unceasing kindness. He provides for my needs and gives me extra strength when I am in pain. In fact, God’s kindness is often expressed when he stretches my tolerance to endure pain. Plus, God shows me his kindness by rescuing me from any bitterness or hint of anger about my circumstances. And finally? Like Joseph, God has granted me favor. Oh, friend, I cannot get over the fact that God has granted me a ministry to the disabled of the world. And for that reason alone, I just might be the most blessed quadriplegic in the world. Through Joni and Friends, I get to share Christ’s love with a multitude of people who feel confined, who feel imprisoned by their suffering.
But the lesson of Joseph is for us all. And you don’t have to be in a prison. Or in a wheelchair like me. If you feel confined by your circumstances [maybe you live alone, or you feel trapped in a difficult marriage]; if you suffer any kind of restriction – look at it in the same way as Joseph did. Trust God and obey him. For as you trust and obey, God will do for you what he did for Joseph. He will be with you, he will show you kindness, and he’ll grant you great favor. Look, if it’s been a while since you’ve read about Joseph, get to know his story better in Genesis chapters 37-50. And yellow highlight Genesis 39:21 when you get to it. It’ll always remind you to trust God in your suffering, for the promise is, he will be with you, he’ll show you kindness, and he’ll grant you great favor.
© Joni and Friends