Bible in a Year, Day 29: The Wait Is Worth It

Today's reading

Today's reading is Genesis 41, where Pharaoh's troubling dreams bring Joseph out of prison and into the palace. Pastor Jack Graham draws our attention to what Joseph says when he is brought before the king.

Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have dreamed a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you, that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, “It isn’t in me. God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.”

(Genesis 41:15-16, WEB)

Reflection

Pharaoh's magicians could not explain his dreams, and his priests had nothing to say. Only then did the cupbearer remember the Hebrew in prison. Pastor Graham reminds us that Joseph had been there for over two years since the cupbearer forgot him. Then he adds, "But with God, his timing is always perfect."

If you feel like God is finished with you because you are at a low point, this is for you. Pastor Graham says, "these setbacks are setups." God is on the move and still working in your life, even when nothing around you shows it.

When the call came, Joseph was rushed out of the dungeon. He shaved, changed his clothes, and stood before Pharaoh. As Pastor Graham puts it, "Nobody is ready for leadership until they have first been prepared." When his breakthrough came, Joseph was ready.

Look at how Joseph answered. He told Pharaoh he could not interpret the dreams himself, but that God would give Pharaoh the answer. Pastor Graham observes, "Joseph didn't take credit for what God can do. He pointed Pharaoh to God." After years of injustice, prison and betrayal, he says, "Joseph's character and his faith was still intact."

Joseph then told Pharaoh what God was about to do: seven years of abundance, followed by seven years of famine. He urged Pharaoh to appoint a wise man to store up grain so Egypt would survive. Pharaoh saw the Spirit of God in Joseph and put him in charge of the palace, giving him the ring, the robe and the authority. In one day, a prisoner became prime minister.

Pastor Graham leaves us with this: "God is still writing your story." What looks like the end may be the start of something greater.

Take it with you

• Where do you feel forgotten right now? Name it honestly to God.
• How might this season be preparing you for something you cannot yet see?
• When God works through you, how can you point others to him, as Joseph did?

Prayer

Lord, you know where I feel overlooked and how long I have been waiting. Help me trust that you are still working and that your timing is perfect. Prepare me while I wait, and keep my character and my faith strong when things are hard. When your answers come, let me give you the credit, as Joseph did. I place my story in your hands. Amen.