The seven good years of growth and prosperity was
coming to the end. The seven lean years was looming. The first part of Pharaoh’s
dreams had passed and the second part was about to begin. The seven good years
saw plenty and were indeed bountiful and wonderful. But the seven lean years were
the very opposite. They were seven of the most terrible years. Twice the text
said that the famine was severe. Verse 57 said that the whole earth felt the
impact. But for Joseph’s ingenious plan, death would be the common catchphrase in
the passage.
Joseph’s great plan did not only
preserve Egypt, it preserved the whole earth. People all over the earth went down
to Egypt to buy grain. And God’s word to Abraham that “…in you shall all the
families of the earth be blessed” was coming to pass. Of course much cash was pouring
into Pharaoh’s coffer. And Joseph was obviously recognized as the hero of
Egypt. Yes, he was truly born for an hour such as this. But something deeper
still was coming to pass and he did not know about it. It’s the fact that his
own dream about his father and brothers bowing to him was set in motion.
For many, life at the top could be a
hazard. The exposure to riches and power had stumbled many. But for Joseph he
did not only came through it unscathed but came through it brilliantly faithful
to God. What made him so successful? The answer can be traced to the thirteen
years of testing where he was honed and shaped, and his soul fully grounded in God.
His tough time in the pit, in Potiphar’s house and in prison all took a part in
toughening his soul. That’s why we shouldn’t dismiss the trails of life. Inconvenient
as they may be, they toughen us up and get us ready to face tomorrow. That’s also
the reason why we should count it all joy when we encounter various trials.
Joseph truly demonstrated a life
that wholly trusted in the greatness of God. Looking back, he could tell that God
was there with him in every circumstance, whether in the prison, the pit or the
palace. The Almighty was truly at work in the daily hustle and bustle of his
life. Unwittingly, as His instrument, Joseph had revealed to Pharaoh, the
pseudo-god, that he certainly was not god. For the true God has absolute control
of destiny, yes even the destiny of Pharaoh and Egypt and the Nile. Besides, he
also could attest to the reality of the words of the covenant keeping God,
first given to Abraham, then to Isaac and to Jacob. So steep was Joseph’s faith
in God that despite being in Egypt, and married to the daughter of an Egyptian
priest, he would give his sons Hebrew names. He truly believed in God as no one
else had in his time.
Joseph’s life tells us that it’s
possible to live for God, whether in prosperity or adversity. The affluence that we are daily exposed to need
not be our stumbling block. In every circumstance of life, tough or otherwise,
with us is the God who controls destiny. No wonder Paul tells us to give thanks
in everything. For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. So
in the up’s and down’s of our life, we must remember that God is shaping us for
effectiveness.
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