THE PLOT TWIST: The Pit, The Prison, and The Palace
"God, this is not what I envisioned!"
"God, I had no idea this would happen to me!"
"Why, God? Why me?!"
Isn't it lovely (sarcastic quip) when that colloquial monkey wrench gets thrown smack dab into our plans, ideas and vision?
In the words of Sophia Petrillo from The Golden Girls, "Picture it! Sicily, 1912..."
In this case, "Picture it!" You've had a dream--a vivid, reoccurring dream that's so potent, you can't stop thinking about it. Every fiber of your being resonates with the significance of this dream, as it aligns with the desires of your heart. To add some delicious icing on the cake, prophetic words went forth, confirming that what you've dreamed and seen in the spirit is true, and that it is God's will for your life. You're rejoicing and excited about all God is doing and is going to do. You're anticipating, expecting, praising and proclaiming by faith that your vision is indeed coming to pass. Then suddenly...BAM!
The trials and tribulations commence.
Loved ones start showing true colors and spewing venom, all without provocation.
Your character is attacked.
Jealousy overflows from multiple directions.
Fiery darts are shot in tandem, and your cup of joy is slowly running dry.
Your heart is so overwhelmed that you're doubting all that has been shown to you--much less wondering if God sees and if He cares about what's happening.
Saints, tests are prerequisites for testimonies; how can you testify unless you've been through something to tell the people about? There could be several reasons why God allows such things; however, in this case, oftentimes, it is a test to see how you will react and respond. Will you have a tantrum and curse God; or will you stand in faith, stand on vision and trust God? Will you praise God through the rough times? (1 Peter 4:12-13) Will you praise God from the pit?
Joseph was favored by his father Jacob, and he was favored by God. Being a vivid dreamer, Joseph shared with his father and brothers two different dreams he had. The dreams had the same meaning: he will rule over them all, and they will bow down to him. Although his father pondered about his dream, his brothers weren't so happy; in fact, it only fueled their jealousy and anger toward Joseph. As a result, they wanted to kill him. But Reuben stepped in and stopped the other brothers' plan. So, they threw Joseph in a pit instead before selling him to the Midianites as a slave (Genesis 37:23-28).
Although not recorded in Scripture, I can only imagine Joseph's thought processes during this time. What have I done wrong? Why did my own brothers - my own flesh and blood - do this to me? I never thought anything like this would happen to me. I thought they loved me...
The Midianites sold Joseph to Potiphar, who was an officer to Pharoah in Egypt. Through it all, God was with Joseph and He prospered him, right in the midst of this unfortunate situation (Genesis 39:2). Although things may have seemed to be on the "up and up," another plot twist was brewing in the form of Potiphar's wife.
Potiphar's wife wanted Joseph sexually. She tried to convince him to sleep with her; however, he refused (Genesis 39:7-9). She made another pass at Joseph, and Joseph fled. Lesson: when the opportunity to sin presents itself, flee! Before he escaped, she caught a hold to his garment. In efforts to get away from her, he left his garment. Unfortunately, she used this against him, telling her husband that Joseph tried to force himself on her. As a result, Joseph was thrown in prison. Once again, he's back at the bottom of the barrel; but little did he know that this downfall was positioning him to spring into destiny. Lesson: Don't knock the plot twist!
His gift as a dreamer made room for him to interpret the dreams of two fellow prisoners, the chief butler and the chief baker. The chief butler's dream meant restoration; unfortunately, the chief baker's dream meant death, and he was ultimately executed (Genesis 40). When the chief butler was restored to his royal position, he told Pharoah about Joseph interpreting his dream after Pharoah sought out magicians and wise men--to no avail--to interpret his own disturbing dreams. Joseph was escorted out of the prison and brought before Pharoah in the palace. Pharoah shared the dreams, Joseph interpreted them by the help of Holy Spirit (seven years of prosperity, seven years of famine) and Pharoah was pleased. As a result, Pharoah placed Joseph as second in command to him.
Oftentimes, God will show us the latter (the promise), but He will not show us the things we may have to endure in order to obtain. There are some dots that must be connected along the way. Remember, it's not all about you; others may depend upon your trial to get them to their destiny (i.e., chief butler). Certain things may seem like terrible, unfortunate instances, and they may very well be terrible; but they are just plot twists, not permanent situations. Think about it:
If Reuben had not saved Joseph's life and thrown him into the pit, Joseph would not have been sold into slavery. If Joseph wasn't sold into slavery, he would not have connected with Potiphar, an officer of Pharoah (his initial steppingstone into the palace; be mindful of your connections). If Joseph hadn't found favor with Potiphar, he would not have been made overseer of Potiphar's house. If Joseph wasn't overseer, Potiphar's wife would not have seen him and pursued him. PLOT TWIST!
If Joseph wasn't thrown into prison, he wouldn't have met the chief butler and interpreted his dream. If he hadn't interpreted the dream, the chief butler wouldn't have given Pharoah the resource in the form of Joseph being an interpreter of dreams.
God has an uncanny way of "connecting the dots." Connecting the dots often comes with its own unique set of challenges and mishaps, but it is all creating a beautiful picture in the end. The plot twist wasn't God reneging on His promises; it was God building resilience, strength, faith and character from "dot to dot to dot" (from the cocoon to becoming the butterfly). On the flip side, God showed Joseph the promise; if He would've shown him all of the problems and turmoil he had to face on the way to the promise, Joseph could have been like, "thanks, but no thanks" and went in another direction. If he did that, it could have possibly led to the demise of his family during the famine.
When life starts "life-ing" and the unsavory randomness is in full swing, don't knock the plot twist. Take the spiritual high road and ask God to grace you through it. Speak life over the situation, knowing that it is only temporary, and greatness is on the other side. The pit is only a PIT STOP! Be encouraged!
~Shairon
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