Happy weekend to you all great family, today's writing is about Joseph encounter. So I said iItalicf you think Joseph was sent to prison only because he said no, look closely at her first words.
We often treat this story as a simple lesson about resisting temptation. Joseph runs, stays honest, and keeps his integrity. That part is true. But we do not always stop and think about what happened after he chose to do what was right.
So I ask this very simple but sensitive question
Have you ever done everything right, yet things still went wrong?
You could spend years building a good name. You show up early. You work hard. You stay honest even when no one is watching. People respect you. They trust you. Your name carries weight.
Then one person, someone with power, tells a different story about you.
In just one moment, everything you built feels weak. The room feels different. People begin to look at you in a new way, not because of truth, but because of an accusation. And you start to see something painful. Doing what is right does not always protect you when someone else controls the story.
And now, this is the real struggle in Genesis 39.
The Bible shows us that Potiphar trusted Joseph with everything. He gave him full responsibility. It even says Joseph was “well-built and handsome” (Genesis 39:6, NIV). Day after day, Potiphar’s wife tried to tempt him, but Joseph refused. He answered her with truth and fear of God. “How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9, NIV).
Then he ran away, leaving his cloak behind.
But what happened next?
She called the men of the house and said, “Look, this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us!” (Genesis 39:14, NIV). She did not use his name. She did not call him a trusted servant. She called him “a Hebrew.” When she spoke again to her husband, she said, “This Hebrew slave you brought us…” (Genesis 39:17, NIV).
Pause and think about that.
In one sentence, she removed his identity and reduced him to a label. He was no longer the trusted man in charge. He became just an outsider. The cloak in her hand became proof, and the label shaped the story.
When Potiphar heard this, the Bible says he burned with anger. We do not hear Joseph defend himself. There is no speech, no argument. Genesis 39:20 simply says, “Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison” (NIV).
Usually, this kind of accusation could lead to death. The fact that Joseph was only imprisoned may mean something felt off, or maybe it was done to protect reputation. We are not told. What we do know is this. Joseph did what was right, and still ended up in prison.
That is hard to accept.
He said no. He ran. He honored God. And in just one day, he lost his position and his name.
Can you imagine sitting there, thinking about everything that just happened? The offer, the refusal, the shouting, the anger. You obeyed God, and your reward looks like loss. No applause. No recognition. No one saying thank you.
And here is something even harder.
God did not stop the lie.
He did not step in to expose the truth right away. He allowed the injustice to happen. Only after Joseph was in prison does the Bible say, “But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness” (Genesis 39:20-21, NIV).
Joseph’s story teaches us something deep. Obedience is not a way to control outcomes. It is a choice about who you will be, even when life turns against you. This kind of faith is quiet. It looks like waking up in a place you do not deserve, and still choosing not to become bitter.
Hope you're not waiting for the truth to come out so you can move on?
Joseph’s time in prison shows us that your identity is not found in being proven right. It is found in knowing that God is with you. He stays even when your name is misunderstood.
So here is the question.
If doing the right thing costs you everything, and no one ever clears your name, who will you choose to be?
you're reading from your handsome friend John Petra!
