January 15, 2025 -God Has a Plan

GENESIS 40:1-23

GENESIS 35:28-29

GENESIS 41:1-57

One Year Bible Audio & Daily Reading (oneyearbibleonline.com)

Genesis 40:14 And please remember me and do me a favor when things go well for you. Mention me to Pharaoh, so he might let me out of this place.

God continues to bless Joseph and he is put in charge at the prison as well. He even gets a way to make himself known to Pharaoh. Nothing happens because God has a plan and it's not time yet.

Genesis 41:1 Two full years later, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing on the bank of the Nile River.

"Two full years later". The word "full" really stresses the length of time. God has a plan and the time is at hand.

Genesis 41:9 Finally, the king’s chief cup-bearer spoke up. “Today I have been reminded of my failure,” he told Pharaoh.

You would think it is a bad thing for someone to forget to do something that they said they would do but here we see that it wasn't a bad thing but a necessary thing. He was where he needed to be to find the man who could interpret dreams. And he forgot until dream interpretation was needed. God had a plan. Sometimes the bad things that we have to endure are necessary things.

Genesis 41:16 “It is beyond my power to do this,” Joseph replied. “But God can tell you what it means and set you at ease.”

Even when give the opportunity to make himself look good in front of Pharaoh, he humbly gives God the glory and directs Pharaohs eyes to God. You know. The one whose plan he has been patiently and humbly following without complaint.

Genesis 41:39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has revealed the meaning of the dreams to you, clearly no one else is as intelligent or wise as you are. 40 You will be in charge of my court, and all my people will take orders from you. Only I, sitting on my throne, will have a rank higher than yours.”

And the plan continues with Joseph as an integral figure to save thousands and thousands of lives. His humility and obedience to God gives him a wisdom that is visible even to unbelievers. He is valued and trusted by Pharaoh. It's all part of the plan to bring him full circle to the fulfillment of the dreams that he had as a boy. God could have gotten Pharoah's attention in any number of ways but he uses dreams. I think it is to send a message to Joseph that he has a plan and he is exactly where he needs to be when he needs to be there. And to remind him that he had dreams that also will come true in God's timing and planning.

There have been times in my life where I have known that God was directing me in a certain direction but it just wasn't happening and it used to be really frustrating to me. I am grateful that over the years as he has shown me His love, faithfulness, power and providence and I have gotten better at the waiting. Better at the trusting that even when things aren't going well that it is still part of the plan. I am grateful every time I read the story of Joesph as it encourages me to trust God.