Take a moment to read the entire chapter of Genesis 41 before reading the devotional below.
As we discussed in yesterday’s post, Joseph was in prison for two years longer because the king’s cup-bearer forgot about him. The cup-bearer’s memory is jogged because Pharaoh has a dream that troubles him and no one is able to interpret it. Joseph had shown his supernatural connection to God in his ability to understand the dreams of the cup-bearer and baker, and the cup-bearer knew that everything Joseph had said came true.
Notice that when Pharaoh calls for Joseph and asks him to explain the dream, Joseph doesn’t act out of arrogance or pride. He fully acknowledges that he has no power by himself, instead saying that God will bring the meaning of the dream to light. Turns out the dream was a prophecy: there will be seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. Pharaoh appoints Joseph to manage the storage process during the plentiful years in order to prepare for famine. That advanced planning saved a lot of lives.
Here’s your freedom for today:
Don’t be afraid to act when God speaks.
We’re often timid about prophecy and we put a lot of disclaimers on words we hear from God (including the Bible). While discernment is a good thing, I think sometimes our hesitation is actually pride. We are afraid of being wrong, so we never step out in faith. Joseph first acknowledged God’s power, then boldly gave a clear interpretation of the dream, then took the position of leadership God gave him as a result, and performed his job with excellence. Where is your boldness today? What has pride held you back from in listening to God’s voice? How can you seek God’s voice more today?