The people who consistently
manifest the greatest joy are those who refuse to be
discouraged by their circumstances. Someone has said,
“If life hands you a lemon, make lemonade.”
Charles Goodyear's lemon was
a prison sentence, resulting from a contempt of court
citation. While in prison, Goodyear became an assistant
in the kitchen, and while there, he continued to work on
an idea. In the process, he discovered a method for
vulcanizing rubber. His lemon, a prison sentence, became
our lemonade. He produced better tires which meant
better travel and a better way of life.
A prime example of the
rewards of faithfulness to God is Joseph, the favored
son of Jacob. He was sold into slavery, betrayed by his
brothers, his death was feigned, and yet through all the
ordeals he passed, he made the best out of bad
situations.
God was with Joseph in
slavery, in prison, and in life (Gen. 39:2, 21, 23).
Why? Because of his fidelity to God. Joseph’s son,
Ephraim, was named in praise of God. Ephraim means
“double fruitfulness.” When Joseph ultimately
made himself known to the brothers who sold him into
slavery, he told them not to be sorry or fearful. He
said God “hath made me fruitful in the land of my
affliction” (Gen. 41:52).
While all of us at some time
live in the land of affliction, good can always come
from it -- we can be fruitful in the land of affliction
(Rom. 8:28). Continued faithfulness to God, in spite of
difficult circumstances, will eventually result in
manifold blessings. From a prison cell, Paul wrote, “But
I want you to know, brethren, that the things which
happened to me have actually turned out for the
furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident
to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my
chains are in Christ” (Phil. 1:12-13).
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