PUT HIM IN PRISON / GENESIS 39:20

START YOUR DAY RIGHT DAILY DEVOTION

(KJV) Genesis 39:20

And Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison.

When Doing the Right Thing Goes Wrong: Faithfulness in the Dungeon

We often grow up believing a simple formula: do good, and good things will happen; do bad, and bad things will happen. But anyone who has walked with God for long knows that real life rarely adheres to such neat mechanics. Sometimes, obedience comes with a heavy price tag.

In Genesis 39:20, we witness one of the most jarring turn of events in scripture. Joseph, having resolutely resisted the persistent temptations of Potiphar’s wife, chooses integrity over compromise. He chooses God over temporary pleasure. His reward for this monumental victory over temptation? “Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined.”

Put him in prison.

It feels fundamentally unfair. Joseph did everything right, yet he ended up in the dark. His faithfulness to God did not result in an immediate promotion or a badge of honor; it resulted in chains. He suffered precisely because of his righteous choices.

If you have ever experienced a season where your integrity cost you a job, a relationship, or your reputation, Joseph’s dungeon feels incredibly familiar. It is easy to question God in those moments. We ask, “Why did You let this happen when I was trying to honor You?”

Centuries later, Jesus addressed this exact paradox in His Sermon on the Mount. He didn’t promise that following God would shield us from unfair treatment. Instead, He reframed our understanding of suffering by saying, “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:10).

Jesus goes even further in the following verses, telling His disciples to rejoice and be glad when people insult them and falsely say all kinds of evil against them because of Him. Why? Because their reward in heaven is great. From a kingdom perspective, suffering for doing what is right is not a sign of God’s abandonment; it is a profound privilege. It aligns us with the prophets of old and ultimately with Christ Himself.

Joseph’s story did not end in the prison, and your story does not end in your current season of hardship. God was with Joseph in the dungeon, and He is with you in your struggle. Victory over temptation and loyalty to God are never wasted, even when the immediate earthly outcome looks like defeat. Our ultimate reward is not anchored in the shifting favor of this world, but in the eternal certainty of heaven. When doing the right thing leads to a prison, keep holding on to the God who holds the keys.

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for the reminder that Your presence is not limited to our seasons of prosperity. When our faithfulness to You results in hardship, misunderstanding, or unfair treatment, give us the grace to stand firm. Help us to value integrity above comfort and Your approval above the applause of the world. Secure our hearts in the promise that our suffering for righteousness’ sake is never in vain, and that our true reward rests safely in heaven with You. Protect our hope when we find ourselves in deep valleys, and remind us that You are still writing our story. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Some of our Post That Might Interest You, All Out of the Current Book / Chapter

1. HE RAN / GENESIS 39:12
2. SIN AGAINST GOD / GENESIS 39:9
3. THE LORD WAS WITH JOSEPH / GENESIS 39:2
4. JOSEPH HAD BEEN TAKEN DOWN TO EGYPT / GENESIS 39:1
5. THOUGHT SHE WAS A PROSTITUTE / GENESIS 38:15
6. ONAN / GENESIS 38:9
7. TAMAR / GENESIS 38:6
8. DAUGHTER OF A CANAANITE / GENESIS 38:2
9. DOWN TO THE GRAVE / GENESIS 37:35
10. TOOK HIM TO EGYPT / GENESIS 37:28
11. REUBEN / GENESIS 37:21
12. BOWED DOWN / GENESIS 37:7
13. LISTEN TO THIS DREAM / GENESIS 37:6
14. A DREAM / GENESIS 37:5
15. RICHLY ORNAMENTED ROBE / GENESIS 37:3
16. JOSEPH / GENESIS 37:2
17. ESAU POSSESSIONS / GENESIS 36:6-7
18. REUBEN / GENESIS 35:22
19. NAMED HER SON BEN-ONI … FATHER NAMED HIM BENJAMIN / GENESIS 35:18
20. GOD APPEARED TO HIM AGAIN / GENESIS 35:9-13
21. GET RID OF THE FOREIGN GODS / GENESIS 35:2
22. SIMEON AND LEVI ATTACKED THE UNSUSPECTING CITY / GENESIS 34:25
23. CIRCUMCISING ALL YOUR MALES / GENESIS 34:15
24. JACOB’S SONS WERE FILLED WITH GRIEF / GENESIS 34:7
25. HE TOOK HER AND VIOLATED HER / GENESIS 34:2
26. DINAH … THE WOMEN OF THE LAND / GENESIS 34:1
27. ESAU KISSED HIM AND THEY WEPT / GENESIS 33:4
28. HE BLESSED HIM THERE / GENESIS 32:29
29. YOUR NAME … ISRAEL / GENESIS 32:28
30. A MAN WRESTLED WITH HIM / GENESIS 32:24
31. O GOD OF MY FATHER / GENESIS 32:9
32. THE ANGELS OF GOD MET HIM / GENESIS 32:1
33. RACHEL STOLE HER FATHER’S HOUSEHOLD GODS / GENESIS 31:19
34. BORE YOUNG THAT WERE STREAKED OR SPECKLED OR SPOTTED / GENESIS 30:38-39
35. GOD HAS REWARDED ME / GENESIS 30:18
36. OR I’LL DIE! / GENESIS 30:1
37. GIVE ME CHILDREN / GENESIS 30:1-24
38. THE LORD SAW THAT LEAH WAS NOT LOVED / GENESIS 29:31
39. LABAN GAVE HIM HIS DAUGHTER RACHEL TO BE HIS WIFE / GENESIS 29:28
40. WHY HAVE YOU DECEIVED ME? / GENESIS 29:25
41. LABAN / GENESIS 29:5
42. BETHEL / GENESIS 28:18-19
43. ABOVE IT STOOD THE LORD / GENESIS 28:13-15
44. THE ANGELS OF GOD / GENESIS 28:12
45. THE BLESSING GIVEN TO ABRAHAM / GENESIS 28:4
46. ESAU WEPT ALOUD / GENESIS 27:38
47. JACOB SAID TO HIS FATHER / GENESIS 27:19
48. REBEKAH SAID TO HER SON JACOB / GENESIS 27:6-17
49. I MAY GIVE YOU MY BLESSING / GENESIS 27:4
50. WHEN ISAAC WAS OLD / GENESIS 27:1
51. A SOURCE OF GRIEF TO ISAAC AND REBEKAH / GENESIS 26:34-35
52. THE LORD BLESSED HIM / GENESIS 26:12
53. BECAUSE ABRAHAM OBEYED / GENESIS 26:5-6
54. I WILL BE WITH YOU / GENESIS 26:2-4
55. BIRTHRIGHT / GENESIS 25:31
56. ISAAC WAS SIXTY YEARS OLD / GENESIS 25:26
57. TWO NATIONS – OLDER WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER / GENESIS 25:22-23
58. ISAAC PRAYED TO THE LORD / GENESIS 25:21
59. ISHMAEL … WAS GATHERED TO HIS PEOPLE / GENESIS 25:17
60. THEN ABRAHAM … WAS GATHERED TO HIS PEOPLE / GENESIS 25:8
61. GIFTS / GENESIS 25:6
62. ABRAHAM LEFT EVERYTHING HE OWNED TO ISAAC / GENESIS 25:5
63. WILL SEND HIS ANGEL WITH YOU AND MAKE YOUR JOURNEY A SUCCESS / GENESIS 24:40
64. THE LORD HAD LED ME / GENESIS 24:26-27
65. I’LL WATER YOUR CAMELS TOO / GENESIS 24:13-14
66. HE PRAYED O LORD / GENESIS 24:12
67. NOT GET A WIFE / GENESIS 24:2-4
68. THE FIELD … AS A BURIAL SITE / GENESIS 23:20
69. BECAUSE YOU HAVE OBEYED ME / GENESIS 22:15-18
70. YAHWEH-YIREH / GENESIS 22:14
71. NOW I KNOW THAT YOU FEAR GOD / GENESIS 22:11-13
72. HE REACHED OUT HIS HAND / GENESIS 22:10
73. BOUND HIS SON ISAAC / GENESIS 22:9
74. GOD HIMSELF WILL PROVIDE / GENESIS 22:8
75. I AND THE BOY … WILL COME BACK / GENESIS 22:5
76. TAKE YOUR SON / GENESIS 22:2
77. GOD TESTED ABRAHAM / GENESIS 22:1
78. GOD HAS HEARD / GENESIS 21:17
79. HIS SON ISAAC WAS BORN / GENESIS 21:5
80. SAID OF HIS WIFE SARAH SHE IS MY SISTER / GENESIS 20:1-2
81. THEY GOT THEIR FATHER TO DRINK WINE / GENESIS 19:33
82. SMOKE FROM A FURNACE / GENESIS 19:28
83. LOT’S WIFE LOOKED BACK, AND SHE BECAME A PILLAR OF SALET / GENESIS 19:26
84. I HAVE TWO DAUGHTERS / GENESIS 19:8
85. HOSPITALITY JUSTICE AND THE HARD TRUTHS / GENESIS 19:5
86. LOT WAS SITTING IN THE GATEWAY / GENESIS 19:1-2
87. ABRAHAM REMAINED STANDING BEFORE THE LORD / GENESIS 18:22
88. THEIR SIN IS SO GRIEVOUS / GENESIS 18:20-21
89. HE WILL DIRECT HIS CHILDREN … KEEP THE WAY OF THE LORD / GENESIS 18:19
90. IS ANYTHING TOO HARD FOR THE LORD? / GENESIS 18:13-14
91. THREE MEN / GENESIS 18:2
92. LAUGHED / GENESIS 17:17
93. SARAH /GENESIS 17:15
94. THE SIGN AND THE SEAL / GENESIS 7:11
95. EVERLASTING POSSESSION / GENESIS 17:8
96. TO BE YOUR GOD / GENESIS 17:6-7
97. ABRAM … ABRAHAM / GENESIS 17:5
98. MY COVENANT / GENESIS 17:2
99. NINETY-NINE YEARS OLD / GENESIS 17:1
100. AGAINST EVERYONE / GENESIS 16:12
101. ISHMAEL / GENESIS 16:11
102. THE ANGEL OF THE LORD / GENESIS 16:7
103. THE LORD HAS KEPT ME FROM HAVING CHILDREN / GENESIS 16:1-2
104. THE LORD MADE A COVENANT WITH ABRAM / GENESIS 15:17-21
105. A COUNTRY NOT THEIR OWN / GENESIS 15:13
106. HE BELIEVED … HE CREDITED IT TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS /GENESIS 15:6
107. YOUR SHIELD, YOUR VERY GREAT REWARD / GENESIS 15:1
108. I WILL ACCEPT NOTHING BELONGING TO YOU /GENESIS 14:22-23
109. GAVE HIM A TENTH OF EVERYTHING / GENESIS 14:20
110. MELCHIZEDEK KING OF SALEM / GENESIS 14:18
111. CALLED OUT THE 318 TRAINED MEN / GENESIS 14:14
112. ABRAM THE HEBREWS / GENESIS 14:13
113. PITCHED HIS TENTS NEAR SODOM / GENESIS 13:12
114. LOT LOOKED UP AND SAW / GENESIS 13:10
115. SAY YOU ARE MY SISTER / GENESIS 12:11-13
116. A FAMINE IN THE LAND / GENESIS 12:10
117. THE LORD APPEARED TO ABRAM / GENESIS 12:7
118. ABRAM LEFT, AS THE LORD HAD TOLD HIM / GENESIS 12:4
119. ALL PEOPLES ON EARTH WILL BE BLESSED THROUGH YOU / GENESIS 12:3
120. LEAVE YOUR COUNTRY / GENESIS 12:1-2
121. HIS SON ABRAM / GENESIS 11:31
122. UR OF THE CHALDEANS / GENESIS 11:28
123. LET US BUILD … THAT WE MAY MAKE A NAME / GENESIS 11:4
124. A PLAIN IN SHINAR / GENESIS 11:1-2
125. BORN TO SHEM / GENESIS 10:21-31
126. THE SONS OF HAM / GENESIS 10:6-20
127. THE SONS OF JEPHETH / GENESIS 10:2-5
128. THE ACCOUNT OF SHEM, HAM AND JAPHETH / GENESIS 10:1
129. CURSED BE CANAAN / GENESIS 9:24-25
130. HAM / GENESIS 9:22
131. DRANK SOME OF ITS WINE, HE BECAME DRUNK / GENESIS 9:21
132. MY RAINBOW IN THE CLOUDS / GENESIS 9:13
133. I NOW ESTABLISH MY COVENANT / GENESIS 9:9-17
134. WHOEVER SHEDS THE BLOOD OF MAN BY MAN SHALL HIS BLOOD BE SHED / GENESIS 9:6
135. HEART IS EVIL FROM CHILDHOOD / GENESIS 8:21
136. BUT GOD REMEMBERED NOAH / GENESIS 8:1
137. EVERY LIVING THING WAS WIPED OUT ONLY NOAH WAS LEFT / GENESIS 7:23
138. THE GREAT DEEP BURST FORTH / GENESIS 7:11-12
139. THE FLOODWATERS CAME ON THE EARTH / GENESIS 7:6
140. I WILL ESTABLISH MY COVENANT WITH YOU / GENESIS 6:18
141. AN ARK / GENESIS 6:14
142. NOAH WAS A RIGHTEOUS MAN BLAMELESS AMONG THE PEOPLE / GENESIS 6:9
143. THE LORD WAS GRIEVED / GENESIS 6:6
144. HOW GREAT MAN’S WICKEDNESS / GENESIS 6:5
145. THE SONS OF GOD / GENESIS 6:1-2
146. GOD TOOK HIM/ GENESIS 5:24
147. ENOCH WALKED WITH GOD / GENESIS 5:22
148. SETH … FATHER OF ENOSH / GENESIS 5:6
149. ADAM LIVED 930 YEARS / GENESIS 5:5
150. WRITTEN ACCOUNT OF ADAM’S LINE / GENESIS 5:1
151. CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD / GENESIS 4:26
152. MARRIED TWO WOMEN / GENESIS 4:19
153. CAIN … HIS WIFE / GENESIS 4:17
154. CAIN WENT OUT FROM THE LORD’S PRESENCE / GENESIS 4:16
155. A MARK ON CAIN / GENESIS 4:15
156. NOW YOU ARE UNDER A CURSE / GENENSIS 4:11-12
157. YOUR BROTHER’S BLOOD CRIES OUT TO ME / GENESIS 4:10
158. IT DESIRES TO HAVE YOU / GENESIS 4:6-7
159. AN OFFERING TO THE LORD / GENESIS 4:3-5
160. ADAM LAY WITH HIS WIFE / GENESIS 4:1
161. HE DROVE THE MAN OUT / GENESIS 3:24
162. KNOWING GOOD AND EVIL / GENESIS 3:22
163. I WILL GREATLY INCREASE YOUR PAINS / GENESIS 3:16-19
164. HE WILL CRUSH YOUR HEAD, AND YOU WILL STRIKE HIS HEEL / GENESIS 3:14-15
165. THE SERPENT DECEIVED ME / GENESIS 3:13
166. THEY HID / GENESIS 3:8
167. THEY REALIZED THEY WERE NAKED / GENESIS 3:7
168. THE WOMAN … ATE IT … HER HUSBAND … WITH HER / GENESIS 3:6
169. YOU WILL BE LIKE GOD / GENESIS 3:5
170. YOU WILL NOT SURELY DIE / GENESIS 3:4
171. THE SERPENT / GENESIS 3:1
172. LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER / GENESIS 2:24
173. HELPER SUITABLE FOR HIM / GENESIS 2:18
174. THE LORD GOD COMMANDED THE MAN / GENESIS 2:16-17
175. PUT HIM IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN / GENESIS 2:15
176. TREE OF LIFE / GENESIS 2:9
177. GARDEN IN THE EAST, IN EDEN / GENESIS 2:8
178. A LIVING BEING / GENESIS 2:7
179. THE ACCOUNT – THE LORD GOD / GENESIS 2:4-6
180. GOD BLESSED THE SEVENTH DAY / GENESIS 2:3
181. BE FRUITFUL AND INCREASE / GENESIS 1:28
182. GOD SAID LET US – LET US MAKE MAN / GENESIS 1:26
183. SERVE AS SIGNS / GENESIS 1:14-15
184. IT WAS GOOD / GENESIS 1:10
185. THERE WAS EVENING, AND THERE WAS MORNING – THE FIRST DAY / GENESIS 1:5
186. LET THERE BE LIGHT / GENESIS 1:3
187. EARTH WAS FORMLESS AND EMPTY / GENESIS 1:2
188. IN THE BEGINNING GOD CREATED / GENESIS 1:1
189. CREWS N AWAY: ANCHORED IN GRACE

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Blessings, Margarita & Stace