Trials can change a man

I was reading about the life of Joseph today. One thing that really stuck out to me was how his response was a little different after his trials.

Joseph spent many years in prison for something he did not do however, I noticed that when Pharaoh asked Joseph to interpret his dream his response was "It is beyond my power to do this, Joseph replied. But God can tell you what it means and set you at ease." (Gen. 41:16)

I sat and wondered what Joseph's response would have been several years earlier? Maybe a little more prideful? It seemed he had trouble with arrogance when he was younger. Even his dad told him that he should tone it down a little. I'm sure he did not mean for it to come across that way but it bothered his brothers enough that they wanted to kill him. I think it was clear that Joseph had some changing to go through for God to use him as mightily as he did. Joseph had to spend several years at the "back of the line" for God to shape him into the man that he wanted him to be. I wonder if Joseph sat there in that prison and wished that things were different. Maybe he thought back to what life was before and longed to go back to the comfortable life he had before? But God changed him enough that when Joseph had his chance to finally shine he directed it back to God and said that he could not do what Pharaoh asked. Only God could... A changed man, a man that God could use to save a nation from disaster.

I have been thinking a lot today that many times we are so focused on what we think will be the outcome of a trial that we really do not listen during the trial. I thought today that I need to realize that God is my All and All and I could spend the rest of my life in a dusty, smelly prison but it will never change the fact that God is in control and I will praise him with my life regardless of the outcome. I think Joseph felt that way too. That is probably why he was so faithful and confident in the God who had changed him.