Josephs Prison

As I continue to study Joseph, the Lord continues to reveal things to me. At seventeen years old, Joseph was having dreams, I am almost sure he did not ask for these dreams, and they probably were not always clear to him. But Joseph was a brat, plain and simple. He was one of the youngest, much loved by his father, and his brothers were jealous. But all these things were not Josephs doing. He didn't ask for that position in the family, he was born into it.
When God has ordered our lives, we don't ask before God makes that decision. Our gifts and calling is placed on us in the womb. But often times, our making and molding is during our prison time. Many of us will winch at the thought of being in prison, but lets take a look at what prison really is.

Prisons are normally surrounded by fencing, walls, earthworks, geographical features, or other barriers to prevent escape. Modern prison designs have increasingly sought to restrict and control the movement of prisoners. A prison is not just being behind bars, prison is the inability to move freely, deprived of liberty. A prison confines us, restricts us and puts up barriers that can't be crossed. So even if you are not in a jail, you may still be in a prison.
One way we can be in prison is mentally. We can not move past the hurt and pain of things that were done to us, and when we try to move on, the pain of what was done prevents us from escape.

Another way we are held captive is our physical inability to live the life we want. There may be physical limitations, and it may be hard for us to see ourselves healed and whole.
But I believe for most of us,  our prison is our minds. Which is another form of captivity. It may not be past hurt or pain, it may not be physical, but we have locked ourselves in the prison of unforgiveness, jealousy, bitterness, low self esteem and pride.

The most common use of prisons is as part of a criminal justice system, in which individuals officially charged with or convicted of crimes are confined to a jail or prison until they are either brought to trial to determine their guilt or complete the period of incarceration they were sentenced to after being found guilty at their trial.
When I look at this story of Joseph, I see myself so clearly. I am not in a physical prison. I have not allowed mental limitations to keep me down, but what I believe is God took Joseph through  a growing, a maturing, a time of building his faith, and getting rid of the pride that somehow took hold of Joseph in the early years. God needed for Joseph to fully relay on him, for God to use Joseph the way he did, he really had to do a work in him and through him. For us to be used for God's glory, we may have to spend some time in prison, the wilderness, the desert or even captive situations. So when we have committed our will to the master of the guard, you will be ready to subdue a nation, command an army or lead a people. Allow God to subdue you, when he is ready, you will be released.