One day in your temple is better than a thousand anywhere else (Ps. 84:10 CEV).
This Psalm holds new meaning now that I have a marker to refer back 1,000 days to (9-1-12). 1000 days seems so long ago, but at times they have passed so very quickly, like a wink, or a breath. Ps 90:4 says that “A 1000 years means nothing to the Lord” and I can understand that better, as these 1000 days have zipped by so very speedily.
I’ve been praying about what to write about this day for some time. I’ve been proclaiming victory on/for this day for months, and am anxious to see what manifest itself. I woke up at 4:30 am this morning in prayer and contemplation about today. When I turned on “mama Joyce” Meyer this morning she used Ps. 105:17-18 inspiration for today, once again drawing my attention back to Joseph.
Joseph was falsely accused of a crime that was unspeakably heinous, similar to my own situation (Gen 39:16-20). He too was unjustly convicted and imprisoned. Not much is said about his 13 years in prison, being separated from his family, friends, and community while having to navigate the twists and turns of prison life. Joseph’s 8th great grandnephew, David does give us some insight into his uncle’s captivity in Ps. 105. David says that “as he was fettered Joseph’s soul entered into the iron, that what he went through hurt him so badly that he didn’t know how to talk about it (v.17-18)”. In Hebrew the verse says that as he was laid in iron, that his soul was pierced and came into the iron and the iron came into his soul, mingling with his soul (Heb #938 bow:to go on, come, bring in, bring into, or to cause). In Hebrew the hurt (#6031 and) mentioned means to depress affect, debase, humble, or submit.
This verse is about so much more than just being in handcuffs. Joseph’s soul was penetrated, pierced, by the iron and the iron entered into his soul and it strengthened him, he maintained (by purposefully choosing to reflect God’s ; character conduct, and conversation) a good attitude and rose above his circumstances.
Ps. 105 goes on to say that Joseph remained a slave, imprisoned and forced away from his family, until his own words had come true and the Lord had finished testing him (v.19). Joseph’s words were those of prophetic dreams (Gen. 37) that led to the salvation of his family in the middle of a world wide famine (Gen 42-50).
My words are those of Ps. 1190113, to not be two-faced; of Prov. 16:33 No Dice 663423, to trust God’s divine purpose; and of Ps. 18:19-20 to be freed from these fences and proven innocent because He loves me.
I am thankful for Joseph’s example. I find great hope in his story. We share so much in common. He evidently bore much sorrow in missing his family (Gen 42:24, 45), but at some point also found peace (Gen 39:21-23) and success (Gen 41:37-57), fore when he named his first son Manasseh, which means “God has let me forget all my troubles [and missing] my family back home (v.51)”. I certainly could not have survived this incarceration and banishment without the Holy Spirit shielding my soul from the death grip my emotions were strangling it with because of my deep, deep heartache for my daughter. When Joseph had a second son he named him Ephraim, which means "God has made me a success in the land where I suffered” (v52). 1000 days ago I could not have, would not have been remotely able to, envision how God has blessed me and given me success in this exile. From the Holy Spirit cradling me in my deepest despair in county jail, through the blessing of being assigned to Crabtree, my position on the offender counsel, election to president of Toastmasters, being able to facilitate an Addicts at the Cross addiction recovery group, and my job and influence in the canteen I have been incredibly, overwhelmingly lifted up and saved in the middle of my suffering.
1000 days ago when fetters were placed on my hands and feet, like Joseph, my soul was also pierced. The intense pain in my spirit was debasing and depressing. However, God’s Holy Spirit has turned that time to my advantage as I humbled myself to submit to His plans to transform and transition my life into something greater than it already was. I still do not know exactly what that will be, but trust Him that it will be a blessed life, 1000 times more blessed than the already abundantly blessed life than he brought me out of (Duet 1:11). Someday soon he will free me from these fences (Ps. 18:19-20) and gates, shattering the iron locks, and rescuing me from prison (Ps. 107:10, 16). He will expose the lies, liars, and those who have ruled with injustice, placing them in soul submitting irons (Ps. 149:7-8). He will restore me to my family, friends, and community (Acts 16:40, Gen. 45-50)where I can use this experience to express the true care, compassion, and concern Christ has for those who suffer injustice (Acts 16:37-39). He’ll restore me to my spiritual brothers and sisters who will continue to sharpen the iron that I now fully embrace (Pr. 27:17).
1000 days is a definite marker. I believe that God has, is, and will continue to work towards justice, redemption, and restoration (Gen. 50:20). I believe that through sharing my testimony and walking along side others that are experiencing similar injustices that, like Joseph, I can rise above my iron pierced affliction, be strengthened by it, and can pass along what I have been blessed with the past 1000 days, 1000 times over.
