The Turning of the Tide

Genesis 41-44

Did you notice the 7's and the 3's!  Constant numbers in the Bible--7 is said to be the number of completeness, 3 is the number of balance. Seven years of feast, 7 years of famine.  Three days of jail time, on the third day release.  More foreshadowing?  or just good story telling?  Remember, these stories were verbally passed down through the generations as part of the Jewish education at the knee of their mothers.  Just as Stephen retold the complete story in synopsis form in Acts 6, most Jewish people could explain and summarize their faith well.  Are we as versed?  Can we tell our beliefs as clearly?  Might be something to work on so that you can witness clearly if given the opportunity at a moment's notice.

I am so impressed with Joseph at the beginning of this story.  I so love the way God directed his life and pulled him out of the despair in such a dramatic way and in such grand extreme.  Joseph's life could not have taken a clearer "180"--from the bottom of the heap to the top of the world.  I hope that gives you as much encouragement as is does me when we feel like we are living at the bottom of a heap.  Your life too can take a dramatic turn, if you continue to keep your eyes on God.

I love watching Joseph's approach to the opportunity for change.  First, he gave the credit to God as his talents were recognized.  Second, he followed his explanation of the situation with a plan of action that was well received.  Third, he followed through with the plan by getting right to work.  He stuck to the plan and became very successful.

I think we often get stuck in one of these stages.  We may have a good idea, but we take all the credit instead of recognizing how the plan came about.  Or we don't know what to do with the plan to move it into concrete stages so we give up easily thinking it is a "pipedream" and can't be done.  Or we get stuck tweaking the plan and never put our "feet to the ground" to get the plan in motion.  I encourage you to keep in mind all the steps and let God guide you through them.  Joseph didn't do it alone---God put people around him to move things along.  God will do the same for you if you are acting in His will.

I can't leave today without recognizing the old Joseph.  As soon as you put on fancy clothes, people seem to change.  Joseph got a new "coat of colors" and it went right to his head again, didn't it.  Truly "lording" his power over his brothers for 3 chapters.  And it never mentions that this was God's idea to handle it this way.  Leaves me very curious about his motives--was it payback time?  Was he trying to teach them a lesson?  Did God guide this part of the story because many hearts did need changing and many lives were involved?  I guess that's one of those questions for our days in heaven when all things will be revealed.

God bless us now to complete our past.