“The plan seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his officials. So Pharaoh asked them, “Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God?” Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you.”
Joseph’s story is fascinating. As a young man, he had had some huge dreams. Life, however, took him in directions that he never would have foreseen with what looked like devastating setbacks. Joseph’s big dreams were pushed out of focus. By all appearances, there was no way that his dreams would ever see the light of day.
One of Joseph’s defining characteristics, however, was the fact that he had faithfully served his father. After that he served Potiphar, the man who had purchased him as a slave, and even the warden at the prison he was confined in. Through a series of God-ordained events, Joseph also got the opportunity to serve the most powerful ruler on the planet, Pharaoh of Egypt. Joseph’s own dreams, desires, and goals were long-forgotten. He had no agenda but to serve those God had placed over him.
In reality, though, God had been developing Joseph’s character. His dreams were bigger than even he could imagine. As he focused on serving others and helping them understand what their own dreams meant, Joseph was being prepared for his life’s work. In the first part of Joseph’s story, he was at the center of his own dreams. By the end, however, he was focused on others and ready to save a nation and, ultimately, his own family from starvation.
Who are you serving? What dreams has life pushed onto the back burner of your life?
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