The moment you have all been waiting for! Another week of the story of Joseph, but sadly, we’re coming to a close as the last blog of the series is being posted Saturday! Where we left off, Joseph was released from prison to interpret Pharoah’s dream of the seven fine-looking cows and the seven gaunt cows who ate the healthy ones. So, without further delay, let’s continue!
The Story of Joseph
Joseph had gotten to the palace to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams, so the servants cleaned Joseph up to make him presentable and brought him before Pharaoh. Pharaoh explains his dreams that he saw seven healthy cows, but then seven ugly cows came up from the river and ate the healthy cows. He tells Joseph about his second dream, seven heads came up on one stalk of grain, but then seven heads that were withered and thin came up and devoured the seven good heads. (Genesis 41:24) Joseph tells him in Genesis 41:25 that “the dreams of Pharaoh are one; God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do.” God is thoughtful in that He will warn you and give you wisdom on future things. God will not let significant events in your life blindside you; He will let you know ahead of time. For instance, recently, God revealed to my sister something important about her future, so now she is mentally and physically preparing for what God told her. God does this so that you can have the best plan possible for what is to come.
Joseph enlightens Pharoah by telling him that those two dreams represent seven years of plenty and seven years of famine. Genesis 41:32 says, “And the dreams were repeated to Pharaoh twice because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.” I love God because He is a man of His word. Numbers 23:19 says that God “is not a man that he should lie,” so know that if God says something concerning you or, in general, it will come to pass. As people of faith, this is beautiful because we can rest in the fact that God never backs out on His word. You don’t have to stress or worry about whether God will change His mind, lie, or not honor His word. That is why we can have strong faith in the first place because we are placing our trust in God, who does exactly what He said He would do! So, what are you worrying about? If God told you you’re healed, then you’re healed! If He said He’s going to supply all your needs, then all your needs are supplied! God never disappoints, so trust in Him and know He will never change His word!
“Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning as you”
Genesis 41:39
After telling Pharaoh this was an established word from God, Joseph told him to appoint a wise man over the land of Egypt who could collect and store the produce of the land during the years of plenty and then distribute it during the years of famine. Pharaoh responds, “Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning as you” (Genesis 41:39). At this moment, it is evident why God had Joseph in the position He did. If Joseph weren’t in that specific prison, with the baker and the butler, he would never have had this opportunity! Pharaoh then says in Genesis 41:40, “you shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.”
Do you think Joseph knew how far God would bring him? God is full of surprises because what you thought is nowhere near what God thought! I Corinthians 2:9 says, “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, Neither has entered into the heart of man, The things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.” So, God will always exceed your expectations, which is exciting! Know that whatever you’re believing for, God will answer it in a way that is better than anything you could think of! Because He is the God of more than enough, the God who can do exceedingly and abundantly above all we can ask or think! His thoughts are higher than ours, and He knows the whole story, so you don’t have to worry about anything. Place all your worries in God’s hands, and He will handle the rest. God wants nothing but the best for you and for you to succeed, so He will help you get there like He did Joseph!
Joseph was thirty when this occurred; he was only a teenager when his brothers first sold him into slavery. Though it seemed like a long time to get to the place God had planned for him, Joseph never gave up his faith; he always pushed through no matter what, expecting better. When you expect better, you get better! Remember, God will come through for you if you believe He will! Faith pleases God; God would’ve never blessed Joseph in such a way if he wasn’t faithful himself.
After this, Pharaoh gave Joseph his signet ring, fine garments, and a gold chain; he also blessed him with a wife, Asenath. During the years of plenty, Joseph gathered up all the food and laid up in every city the food of the fields that surrounded them (Genesis 41:49). He gathered plenty of grain until it was immeasurable to use during the years of famine. Joseph had two sons before the famine and “called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: “For God has made me forget all my toil and all my father’s house.” (Genesis 41:51). God was so good to Joseph that he forgot all his toil and all that happened in his father’s house! And let me remind you, Joseph went through a lot! His brothers hated him and sold him into slavery; they lied to his father, telling Jacob he was dead; he was accused of rape and thrown into jail. But God was so good Joseph forgot all of that! Not literally forgot it, but God’s glory in Joseph’s life overwhelmed the hardships he went through, and those tribulations didn’t matter as much as they once did. God is about to bring you out! So out that you’ll have the same testimony as Joseph! God is all about showing His glory, and He is about to do that with you! He is about to overshadow each disappointment, season of depression, lack, poverty, and fear, with His glory! Nothing can compare to what God is about to do in your life; He is about to wow you in the best way possible. As I said before, God exceeds our expectations, and He will do that with you. The only thing you have to do is have faith and be obedient to the voice of the Lord, and He will elevate you the way he did Joseph! Be blessed, and I hope this helped; see you Saturday!
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