Never Throw in Your Towel
By Jean Jantzen-Duperreault
Slumped against the dank coarse stone wall, his sleep shallow and troubled, Joseph reluctantly shook himself awake when something cool rubbed against his hand. Protectively yanking his hand towards him, his half-closed eyes glimpsed the gaunt rat, in the dim flickering light, as it scurried to the prisoner sleeping a stone’s throw away. Rubbing the gritty sleep from his eyes, Joseph wondered why he had been thrown into this caliginous tomblike dungeon in Egypt, since he was trying with all his heart to obey God and God was working in his life.
Hadn’t he made the best of an unfortunate incident that kept him from family and friends? Certainly, it had been a frightful time when his brothers sold him for a mere twenty pieces of silver. Still, he believed God had great things in store for him. In his youthful zeal, perhaps Joseph even thought this could be the great adventure of his life. He’d never been on his own before, so he took courage in the challenges presented to him, worked hard, made the best of a bad situation, knowing God was for him and would bless his efforts.
God took careful note of Joseph’s growing godly character and conduct. In time, his boss, Potifer, prospered because God was blessing Joseph’s management of his household. (Genesis 39:2- 4) Joseph must have been flying high. When God decided to test Joseph further, it must have been like an unexpected punch in the gut. I’m sure we could have heard the wind explode out of his sails. Joseph’s early dreams of greatness faded as he rubbed his empty, grumbling belly, the sore swollen ankle chained to the grimy stone wall. Maybe God wasn’t with him after all. It must have been a low point in his spiritual life. When on the journey toward our promised greatness, do we wonder why we end up in difficult, dungeon-like, black hole situations finding ourselves emotionally, spiritually and physically drained, our bodies slumped against a cement wall, our legs in chains?
What if we, too, like Joseph, had worked hard over the years to serve God, been faithful in obeying His commandments, been faithful in tithing, in prayer, in our Christian conduct and in helping the fatherless and widow, and done all this in spite of minor setbacks and trials? What if after years of faithfulness, when we feel we are in the homestretch, instead of achieving health and prosperity, we find hard times financially besetting us, or our bodies wracked by some deadly malady, or without cause we’re persecuted and punished. Would we take it patiently like Joseph?
Joseph also knew he’d done the best he could in the hot belly of the earth he’d been thrown into, as he called out to God for deliverance daily. He might have wondered “why me” after having served God with all his might in Potiphar’s household. And God answered his prayers according to what God wanted Joseph to learn — and what God wanted to learn about Joseph — not what Joseph thought he deserved. And though Joseph was not liberated, nevertheless the jailer favored him, saw the virtue, the integrity that shone in his eyes and gave him privileges and responsibilities others did not have. (Genesis 39: 22, 23)
And then, it looked like God at last would release him from his chains. Joseph wondered, “Hadn’t God sent the Pharaoh’s butler and the cook to prison for that very reason? Hadn’t God shown him the meaning of their dreams?” His heart beat fast in anticipation of God’s next move. He could taste his impending reward. He was sure he would be freed soon from this abyss. God would surely bless him now. But days passed slowly and the drudgery of prison life engulfed him once again. Still nothing happened. It would be another 730 days (or 17,520 hours) of putting one foot in front of the other before there was any change in his situation. When was God going to answer his prayer?
Do we on occasion wonder if maybe God doesn’t hear our prayers after all? Or do we grasp it is only when we have been tested by God over a long period that we are indeed ready for that last and most difficult test, so that we might have the endurance demanded of us to go those last few grueling meters before the end of the race. God knew what he was doing when he inspired the apostle Paul to write that “all things (eventually) work together for (our) good.” (Romans 8:28)
What else can we learn from Joseph’s story? We could wonder, “How come we’re not all rolling in dough?” like God says we should in Malachi 3:10. “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse…and test Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven, and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.”
But we might realize like Joseph probably did: “If God poured great riches and/or power on each of us too soon, wouldn’t that defeat His own great purpose for us?” Christ is preparing us for an office, a responsibility in which we will be well trained — just as He was preparing Joseph for great things, the great things He had shown Joseph in a dream as a very young man. (Genesis 37: 6-11) God, too, when we were called, showed us the foreshadowing of great things to come. (Revelation 2:26-28) Besides, most of us could not handle being rich, just as Joseph was not ready for great responsibilities until he had been thoroughly tested. (Luke 18:24, 25)
For Joseph, and for all of God’s people, our eyes are on the ultimate goal. And this vision of the true riches of the Kingdom helps us overcome our present distresses. As we trudge through daily trials, it is nice to know where the next meal is coming from or the money for the mortgage payment and the overdue phone bill. We would like to know if that relationship we are hoping for will work out, or if our bodies will recover from the illness that is overwhelming us. But, no matter the circumstances, like Joseph, we need not wonder. God has never left us with our bellies empty or without shelter or without hope of healing when we earnestly prayed to Him. When life is a grind, we know in our hearts that God means the best for us. Just as He never let go of Joseph’s hand, though He tried and tested him until He could at last give him the promised greatness, so God will not let go of our hand either.
God doesn’t always pour out physical blessings because we give Him what belongs to Him — the tithe of our increase. But He does bless us in other ways just as He did with Joseph in the midst of bitter hardship, trial and tribulation.
Like Joseph, I believe we, too, are looking for spiritual riches. If we can be like Joseph and trust God in advance, God will eventually open up the windows of heaven and pour down overflowing blessings. Like the psalmist says: “ …he sent a man before them, Joseph, sold as a slave. They bruised his feet with shackles, his neck was put in irons, till what he foretold came to pass, till the word of the Lord proved him true” (Psalm 105: 18-20 NIV).
So let’s walk through the tedious and tough situations life throws our way knowing that we, too, need to be proved true. And know that “…God was with [Joseph] and rescued him from all his troubles. He gave Joseph wisdom and enabled him to gain the goodwill of Pharaoh king of Egypt…” (Acts 7:9,10). God will do the same for us, so never throw in the towel. Stay true to God especially when it is most difficult. Never compromise your commitment to God and He will give you the promised crown of righteousness
Jean Duperreault
Watch a relevant video:
Conquer Evil with Integrity