“Joseph’s master took him and threw him in jail, the place where the king’s prisoners were held.” – Genesis 39:20 (CEB)
Joseph does everything right and still ends up in prison. Falsely accused, unjustly condemned, thrown into the place where the king’s prisoners were held. If you’ve ever done the right thing and watched it cost you anyway, you know this particular ache.
Faithfulness is not a guarantee of fair outcomes. Sometimes integrity lands you in the pit. Genesis refuses to tie a neat bow on it; Joseph’s prison is real, and so is the injustice. What the text will not say is that God has left. The next verse is coming. But today, sit for a moment in the honesty of a story that admits the good can suffer, and that God does not look away when they do. What injustice are you carrying that you most need God to see?
God of the falsely accused, you see what is not fair. When doing right costs me, make your presence known, and keep me from bitterness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.