“And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.” Genesis 45:7
Joseph was just a youth when God gave him a dream. Not really knowing what it meant, he told his brothers. This made them truly angry and turned them against him. Even his father, Jacob, though he loved him greatly. thought he was being foolish.
God was showing Joseph that He had a special position to fill. But it was not to happen right away. He would have years to wait before he saw the dream fulfilled. But as we read his story, we realize that it somehow gave him a determination to live a life of integrity and wait for whatever God had in store for him.
He suffered at the hands of his brothers as they placed him in a pit and then sold him to the slave traders. He suffered temptation in Potiphar’s house and stood firm in his convictions, even though it caused him to be sent to prison. He waited. He won the favour of the prison warden and was an example to the other prisoners. After interpreting the dreams of the butler and baker, he hoped his lot was going to change. And he waited some more. It was another two years before he was released.
Pharaoh gave him a position of honor, in charge of delivering food to all of Egypt. When his brothers first came from looking for food, he did not reveal himself to them. We could not blame him for thinking of all the hard things he had endured in life because of what they had done. But Joseph must have seen the bigger picture, and so when they returned the second time, he told them who he was.
Genesis 45:4-5 “And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.”
Joseph set a splendid example for us. Often, the Lord will give us a promise or a dream. We expect it to happen immediately. As we daily seek the Lord, asking Him for wisdom and guidance, He will lead us step by step. At the right time, He will reveal His purpose to us and open the needed doors.
Thought For Today: What dream or promise have you received from the Lord? Be patient and consistent in the waiting time. Your day will come.
Devotion by: Anne Johnston
