<p>If we step back and look critically at Joseph's entire life, the time he spent in the pit seems a rather small inconvenience compared to fantastic experience of living in the palace of Egypt. The pit was simply not the end of Joseph's story. Oftentimes we can get bogged down in the moment and forget that our story is not finished. </p>
<p>Our “prayer closet” of Matthew 6:6 will be a place where we experience change; it's where we go to remove the soiled rags of this life and be clothed in His righteous image and His spiritual armor. We exchange clothes of fear for the shield of faith, the clothes of confusion for the helmet of salvation, and the clothes of hurt and shame for the breastplate of righteousness.</p>
<p>What many people don't realize is that God also has a set learning path that we believers must take on the journey toward our own “promised land.” I’m not talking about a liberal arts education, but a season of preparation in the School of the Spirit which every believer eventually experiences. </p>
<p>Paul was not boasting, rather he was trying to protect new Christians who were being led astray from the faith by some false apostles. In doing so he gives us some tremendous insight into the Christian grind. While we might not have the same kind of world-changing ministry of Paul, we all have a ministry of reconciliation, and can learn three specific lessons from Paul's experience, to strengthen and encourage us to get through!</p>