From Jail To The Palace

“Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined.” -Genesis 39:20

Can you imagine how Joseph must of felt? There he was overseer over all of Potiphar's household, and Mrs. Potiphar wants Joseph to sleep with her. Joseph refused to commit adultery, and she accused him of rape. Then, he lands in jail.

I get messages or calls from people all the time to pray for them. Just when God answers one prayer request, there’s another calamity that strikes them. Sometimes I find myself saying, “God, really? This person can’t seem to catch a break. Please can you help?” Joseph is one of those people that seemed to go from bad to worse.

Thank God Joseph’s story doesn’t end here! You see, he was destined for greatness. No pit, no slavery, and no prison could keep him down. The hand of God and His blessings were on him. Nothing was going to keep Joseph to getting to where God was leading him to be.

This week, I went down memory lane. I’m going to share another personal story about me. After graduating from college, realizing my call was not in medicine, I had no idea what I wanted to be. I decided to work for a temp agency doing meaningless jobs. About a month later, one of the companies I was sent to work for offered me a permanent position. They told me, “We want you here. Name your price, and what you want, and you can go back to college if you wish. We will pay your tuition.” So, I named my price, asked for an additional week of vacation, and took the job. I was the lowest in the company. I was the to-go girl. Whoever needed anything done in the department they came to me.

The president of the company came to my desk everyday to chat with me. Nothing to do with business. He was really nice to me. I was with the company for about eight months, and the woman who hired me begged me to take the job and even had to pay several thousand dollars to the temp agency for breaking the contract in order to hire me. Then, the woman decided to hate me. I have no idea why, but all of a sudden, she hated me with a passion. The work environment was too much for me to bear, I handed in my resignation, giving them two weeks notice.

The president of the company called me into his office. “Teresa, I read your resignation letter, and I want to know the real reason why your leaving. If you're not happy in your current department, I’ll move you to wherever you want to go. Just tell me I’ll take care of it.” I didn’t want to cause trouble so I didn’t tell him anything. He told me I was welcomed back any time I wanted a job with the company and to give future employers his name for recommendations.

The next two weeks were hell in the office. That woman did everything in her power to try and get me to react. The last day of the two weeks finally came. The president of the company came to me everyday to chat with me, and then, he said, “Teresa would you do a personal favor for me? Can you mind the phones at 4:45 p.m.? I know this is your last day with the company, and I know you leave at 5 p.m. I promise you will leave on time.”

At 4:45 p.m., the entire department headed for the conference room. I took over for the woman who handled the department phone calls. The President came out of his office, headed for the conference room, got to the door, turned around, smiled, and gave me a wink. Ten minutes later, he opened the door, stood by the door, looked at me, and gave me the biggest smile, and went straight to his office.

One by one the people came out of the conference room. Some crying, and others in a daze. The last woman to leave said to me, “Rita wants to see you!” I went into the conference room thinking, “God, I had enough of this woman. Please, God, keep my mouth shut.” I walked in, and she was sitting down crying. I asked her what’s wrong. She said, “Teresa, I know you know God. I know God hears your prayers. I need your prayers. I’m sorry for all I did to you. Please you got to pray for me. I’m desperate. The president just fired us all. This whole entire department has been fired. I have no job and no money. Please pray for me. I need a miracle.”

I was in total shock. The president had been watching what they were doing to me. I was innocent. I hadn’t done anything to anyone. It was pure evil what she had done, and the rest of the staff had followed her leading. This week God was showing me the path He has me on for years now. The path I’m on is His perfect will for my life.

You see, I was at the bottom in that company. I was the go-to girl for meaningless things. God was leading me to bigger and greater things. Rita’s attitude was to get me to quit. God was leading me to become the next Chief Executive Officer of LDW. Please get this. When you serve God, He doesn’t play with your life. He leads you from greatness to greatness. Her evil plan served to launch me into the greatest job opportunity of a lifetime. I didn’t know what to do with my life, but God knew.

Joseph landing in jail had to happen so he could meet the cupbearer of Pharaoh, the greatest and most powerful man in his time -the Egyptian Pharaoh. Imagine one day in prison for lies others told, the next you are the second in command. I wouldn’t want to have been Mrs. Potiphar when she had to bow before Joseph, and the real truth was revealed then. Imagine her embarrassment.

I don’t know what your going through. But you can rest assure God has you. People can spread lies all they want. Yes, you might have to live with it for now. However, I promise you God is watching, just like the president of that company was doing. Revenge did not come by my hands. I could have set the record straight with the President and told him what was really happening. I’m so very sure he would have believed me. God said, “Don’t!” I obeyed and didn’t defend myself.

You know how many times I have had to do this? Several people have been down right evil towards me and told many false accusations about me. I know what was said to whom and by whom. God always shows me, but I have never said one word, not one. I allow the gossip, the untrue stories, and downright lies people say about me. God was reminding me what He did in the past to defend me. He is going to do it again.

Joseph was sold by his own brothers at the age of 17. The jealousy and hate his brothers had for him had almost turned to murder. It was their first choice to kill him. God stopped it, and 13 years later, He made him second in command of Egypt. His brothers and the rest of Egypt had to come to him to get their food. Their very lives where in his hands. They had to come not just to apologize but to receive food for their survival. Did you catch this?

If you are honorable, kind, and humble, God will take care of you and the evil done to you. He makes your enemies scatter before you, and He brings them back to apologize to you. Job had to pray for his three friends in order for God to bless his friends. It was Job’s prayer God heard, not theirs.

I’ll never forget that day that I kneeled down while Rita sat in her chair inside the conference room, and prayed with a love I didn’t know I had for a woman that did me harm. I believe God took notice, and a year later, He opened the door for me to work as the CEO of an international company. God keeps all the scores. Remember my story and know it can be your story, too. The idea is to remain holy and righteous. Regardless of the evil that is done unto you, God will end it in victory for you. No prison of lies and hate can stop the blessings of God on your life.

Dr. Teresa Allissa Citro

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, You are the God of Victory, and You are the God Who sees all. Thank You for being my Advocate and my Defense. Thank You for shielding me from my enemies, for being my Cleft In The Rock. Father, I am trusting You to bring me safely through to the other side of the battle I am in because I know You will protect me as I am fully relying on You and doing as You want me to do. I ask that You continue to work out this situation for my good, and I will continue to give You the praise and glory to You for all You have done. Continue to be my Guide and my Instructor. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Linda A. Knowles

#TopicArticle #jail #prison #palace #adversity #trials