A Nugget from New Life Network
(parts by Chris Musgrove of Future Now)
Scripture for the Day (March 16, 2016)
And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed. (Acts 16:25-26)
Have you ever been in a hard place where you couldn’t see any light at the end of the tunnel? There is an old saying that it is darkest just before the dawn. God’s desire for all of us is to breakthrough. He does not want us to breakdown or breakup. He wants us to breakthrough!
In Genesis 39 we see the story of Joseph being falsely accused of raping Potiphar’s wife. Verse 20 says, “Then Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were confined.” Joseph was already a slave for his master Potiphar, but now he’s a convicted rapist whose been thrown into prison. Now it can’t get much worse than what Joseph was facing, but even in prison God was with him. Joseph was used by God in prison to interpret dreams for some of the inmates. One of those inmates was the Chief Butler who told Pharaoh about Joseph’s dream interpreting skills.
Joseph was later able to interpret the Pharaoh’s dream and was set free, but that’s not all. As we read in Genesis 41:39-42 it says, “Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.” And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.” Then Pharaoh took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand; and he clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck.”
Here we see Joseph, who was a slave, accused of raping his master’s wife, is thrown into prison with no hope of ever getting out. Then as everything seems like it’s hopeless, Joseph gets appointed the second in command over all of Egypt with gifts of gold from Pharaoh. From the prison to the palace, now that’s breakthrough!
If people saw what they had to go through to get to the palace they might quit and never get their breakthrough. That’s why the Bible says in II Corinthians 5:7, “to walk by faith and not by sight.” Everyone has situations, and we all have a choice. We can use our situation as our motivation or we can use it as our excuse. You never know when you might be just three feet from gold! So, let’s walk by faith, and not by sight, always expecting God to make a way when there appears to be no way.
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)
A man’s gift maketh room for him and bringeth him before great men. (Proverbs 18:16)
“Victory Is Not In The Fight, But In The Surrender”
