Strategies for Lift (ii)

Continuing with our study of God’s strategies for lift from the story of one of the fathers of faith, Joseph, today we consider his time serving in the king’s prison guard after being evicted from Potiphar’s household. Even after he was accused of attempting to rape his master’s wife, we see that the very same master still put him over the prison’s affairs, because he knew of Joseph’s integrity and excellence, and respected that the Lord was with him. We read, “But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison… he keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph’s authority, because the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper” (Genesis 39: 21, 23). There is an important lesson to learn here, mercy is not only reserved for moments where we have done wrong and deserve punishment, and because we are not aware of this fact, we tend not to make claims on the mercies of the Lord that are new every morning and available for our taking. Additionally, God is not only with us when things are going well according to our own definitions, even in the supposedly hard situations, the Lord remains ever by our side. 

So here we see Joseph now set guard over the prison, with an unchanging attitude towards his master regardless of the unfair misfortunes that had befell him. One morning, after the butler and baker had had troubling dreams the night before and woke up puzzled about what they could mean. Joseph, being an exemplary leader and custodian of joy in that prison, noted their downcast faces and approached them with compassion to enquire more (Genesis 40:1-7). Heeding to Joseph’s invitation, the two servants told him what they had dreamt and Joseph was able to offer them interpretations for both dreams. Joseph put a demand on the workings of God in his life and was able to minister to the two who needed it, but many of us believe we will just grow in ministry from our separate corners without ever putting the word of God to practise. We need to continuously exercise the grace upon our lives by faith and look for multiple opportunities to serve others with it, that way we ensure continual growth and an eventual path leading to kings! After ministering to the butler, Joseph made his own case on the basis of their established relationship, “But remember me when it is well with you, and please show kindness to me; make mention of me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this house” (Genesis 40:14). This is the wisdom of relationships, they really are the trading currency of life! However, when the time came and the butler was restored to Pharoah’s service as Joseph had prophesied, he forgot and made no mention of Joseph, his abilities and his innocence. However, we have good reason to believe that this butler was made to forget by the Lord’s hand, because the fullness of time had not yet come: Pharaoh had no immediate need for Joseph and his abilities, and he would have served no real purpose out of prison at that point.

During this time, Joseph was being trained by the Lord. This was not the first dream of significance that Joseph had to interpret. He himself had a double dream that came to teach him of his purpose, then there were the dreams of the two servants that he again interpreted – all preparing for the moment when he would stand in the presence of kings to offer that same service. The Lord had been training him since he was a little boy. Never ever trivialize the training of the Lord, He knows what He is doing with you and where He is taking you, and when that day of reckoning comes, no one can stop it! Back to Joseph, we see that it was two full years after this very moment, that his day came. Pharaoh had had a troubling dream that none of his wise men and magicians could interpret, and it was only at that point, did the butler remember Joseph. He cried out, “I remember my faults this day. When Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and put me in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, both me and the chief baker, we each had a dream in one night, he and I. Each of us dreamed according to the interpretation of his own dream. Now there was a young Hebrew man with us there, a servant of the captain of the guard. And we told him, and he interpreted our dreams for us; to each man he interpreted according to his own dream. And it came to pass, just as he interpreted for us, so it happened. He restored me to my office, and he hanged him” (Genesis 41: 9-13). Immediately after this, Joseph was called up into the king’s presence quickly, and we read that he immediately shaved, and changed his clothing (v.14) – understanding that representation affects how he will be received and he wanted to make sure everything was in order for his day of reckoning – both the spiritual and the practical. 

When he had come to his presence, Pharaoh told Joseph he had a dream that needed interpretation. Immediately, we see Joseph give credit where credit is due, making clear who the source of his power was, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace” (Genesis 41:16) he answered. But how many of us fail to make mention of God on the day we stand in front of kings? See the mindset of Joseph, he knew he was everything he was by the mercies of God, and not by his own wisdom. Pharoah shared the dream, and Joseph shared the interpretation, letting the king know that there were to be seven years of abundance in the land of Egypt and seven years of famine. Children of God should learn from this principle: there will always be times of abundance and times of lack, and a wise child of God knows how to plan for the evil day and can live a life unaffected by changing economic situations. Joseph told Pharaoh to find a wise man who will govern the operations that will ensure that the years of abundance are managed to sustain Egypt during the years of famine. He did not self promote or put his own hand up, it was Pharaoh who set him as the second in command over the land of Egypt from that very second (Genesis 41: 37-57).  We also see Joseph’s integrity in that while he had the power to do so, Joseph did not force his newly found power over his ten brothers when they had come to source grain years later, all to show them that indeed the dream they persecuted him for was coming to pass. He did not use his Egyptian armies to prove a point, instead he waited, until the word of the Lord came to pass and with great humility, he revealed himself to them. A man of honour and integrity, indeed well trained by the Lord and fitting of the lifting he experienced from the hand of the Lord.

Prayer

Father, we thank You for this year of lift that You have declared. You lead us daily, help us, counsel us, comfort us, and set us up with adequate training for our appointment with Kings! Our path is shining brighter and brighter, we are moving at the speed of the Holy Ghost, and we are fully backed by heaven! We pray Father, for the grace to decisively keep our minds stayed on You, who is the essence of our life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.