Not coincidentally all of my bible studies over this month have about about prisoners who were held captive, but were set free by God. God definitely perfectly timed these messages.
First I heard a sermon series based on the life of Joseph. Joseph "gave an unfavorable report about his brothers." (Genesis 37:2) Subsequently his brothers plotted against him and dropped him into a pit, leaving him there initially to die. He was instead sold into slavery at Potiphar's house; he was a captive to his circumstances. As a captive he was tempted to not do the right thing, but he stayed faithful to God. Because he would not fall into the traps laid for him, lies were told about him and he was put in jail. It would have been very easy to blame God for his circumstances, but Joseph continued to worship and serve God. Everywhere he went people could tell the favor of the Lord rested upon him. Ultimately he was placed in charge over Egypt and was able to turn his circumstances completely around. He understood from the beginning, "that what was intended to use to harm him, God intended for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." (Genesis 50:20) When people try to harm you, especially people who claim to be your brothers/sisters in Christ, the bottom line is that God can use it for your good and the good of others, even bringing others to salvation, if we will remain faithful in our obedience.
My daily bible reading on-line has taken me through Genesis and Exodus. This has refreshed my memory about the Israelites captivity in Egypt and God's plan through Moses to set them free. God wants to set captives free. It is why he sent his son, Jesus. Isaiah 61 tells us he came "...to proclaim freedom for the captives, and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." I learned some other things about God's nature through these readings.
1. God doesn't mind giving you signs or wonders so you will know how much he loves you. To move from bondage to freedom often requires stepping out in faith; we have to be confident in God's love to do it. In Egypt God used the plagues to set the Israelites apart. But Israel still had to move in faith even when it looked like they might drown in the Red Sea or starve in the wilderness. The other morning while driving to work I told God that I don't know how everything is going to turn out in my situation, but as long as I knew he was with me I can make it. I wanted him near me for himself, not for what he could/might do for me. The touch of his hand was enough because I know He is good and he loves me. This is what was waiting on my desk when I came in my office that morning. Someone had 'dropped it off' for me.
Need a sign? If it means God showing his love for you, he will provide. There is no pit so deep, that God's love is not deeper still. 2. Just like the hearts of Pharaoh and his officials became hardened, God might turn the hearts of people against you to serve his purposes . In some circumstances to know that Jesus is all you need, He might have to be all you have left.
3.God doesn't just want to set you free from bondage. He is going to make sure you don't leave there empty handed. "I will make the Egyptians favorably disposed toward this people, so that when you leave you will not go empty handed. Every woman is to ask her neighbor and any woman living in her house for articles of silver and gold and for clothing, which you will put on your sons and daughters. And so you will plunder the Egyptians."
4. Live day by day. When the Israelites escaped into the desert, God provided manna and quail...but only enough for one day. My own circumstances and all the readings on captives being set free made me realize that most of whether you are captive or free is really the state of your mind. The bottom line is whether you are controlled by your circumstances or your knowledge of God. This was true for Joseph and the Israelites, and it is true for me. One of the best modern examples of this are found in the many stories from holocaust survivors, such as Corrie Ten Boom. Corrie's family is well known for hiding Jews during WWII and ultimately they were captured and sent to concentration camps. As a child, Corrie told her father she wasn't sure if she had the courage to be a martyr for Christ if that was called for. God may not be asking me to give up my life to follow him... or is he? What if my circumstances don't work out the way I want them to? What if I have to give up most of what I have lived my life for? What if my life as I now know is never the same? Corrie's father answered her this way: (as told by Corrie Ten Boom)
"Tell me", said father. "When you take a train trip to Amsterdam, when do I give you the money for the ticket? Three weeks before?"
"No, daddy. You give me the money just before we get on the train."
"That's right. And so it is with God's strength. Our Father in Heaven knows when you will need the strength to be a martyr for Jesus Christ. He will supply all you need...just in time."
So for now, I continue living day by day praising my God, who will meet all my needs according the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus (Phil 4:19), and remaining obedient to a radical calling that might lead me where I did not intend to go. As Corrie once said, "Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God."
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