If History Was Different

 If History Was Different

How would history have been written if Joseph, remember the one with the multicolor coat, was freed from prison soon after he got there?  He was sold by his brothers and eventually found himself in Egypt where he practiced an uncanny ability to interpret dreams.  For years he languished in a foreign prison and anyone of us would say it would have been better for him to be out of prison rather than in.  What if Daniel, who was thrown into a lion’s den, instead, escaped through a secret passageway?  What if Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had escaped the fiery furnace through the intervention of their friends on the outside?  And don’t forget the Apostle Paul who was shipwrecked, whipped and also put in prison.
    None of us would ever wish to be put in such horrible situations and yet, look what God did.  Through Joseph, all of Egypt and the surrounding countries were saved from famine.  Daniel and his friends were witnesses and demonstrated God’s awesome power so that Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian king became a follower himself.  And Paul’s states in Philippians 4:12, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation…”
    Remember Pastor Saeed was released from prison in Iran.  Christians everywhere were praying for his release because he was being held because of his faith.  Sounds like a biblical story.  When asked how he spent his time, he said, “I would pray…even in solitary confinement…it was a wonderful time to pray.”  Will we ever know what God accomplished through him in that prison.
    Christians are being persecuted all over the world.  We want it to stop, we pray that it would stop and we certainly would not want it to happen to us.  Statistics show that our freedom to worship here is actually an anomaly.  80% of Christians world wide experience persecution of some form. 
    So, should we be praying for persecution to stop?  Seems like a silly question until you talk to the persecuted.  One man was quoted as saying that we don’t pray for the persecution to stop, but that we would honor our Lord in the midst of it.  They don’t ask, “Why me?”  They don’t look for a way of escape, and they understand that God has a purpose for them there. 
    My prayers have certainly changed even as I deal with my own trials.  What would our community look like if we redirected our prayers toward glorifying God rather than seeking our own best?  Would our worship look any different if our focus was on being an effective witness rather than self-preservation?  Our Christian brothers and sisters around the world have much to teach us.  May we listen, learn and become disciples of Christ who make a difference.

In His Service,
Allen

But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.
                                    Genesis 50:19,20