December 5, 2016 – 19 Days Until My Head Explodes, Or Devotions to Prepare Us For Christ’s Coming

“After two whole years, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing by the Nile and there came up out of the Nile seven sleek and fat cows, and they grazed in the reed grass. Then seven other cows, ugly and thin, came up out of the Nile after them, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile. The ugly and thin cows ate up the seven sleek and fat cows. And Pharaoh awoke. Then he fell asleep and dreamed a second time; seven ears of grain, plump and good, were growing on one stalk Then seven ears, thin and blighted by the east wind, sprouted after them. The thin ears swallowed up the seven plump and full ears. Pharaoh awoke, and it was a dream. In the morning his spirit was troubled; so he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them to Pharaoh.
Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “I remember my faults today. Once Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and put me and the chief baker in custody… We dreamed on the same night, he and I, each having a dream with its own meaning. A young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. When we told him, he interpreted our dreams to us, giving an interpretation to each according to his dream.” Genesis 41:1-14

I can only imagine one morning reaching for a knife to put some butter on my bagel, and when finding none and asking the wife where all the knives are, she says “Look on the Christmas tree.” “Look on the Christmas tree?” I mutter to myself. And when I find all of the knives hanging on the tree with glitter glued on them, I shake my head and think “Is there nothing else in this house to make an ornament out of?” Of course I would be too afraid to give any ideas only to find those items also hanging from the tree.

After two whole years… This is how the Genesis text begins this day, chapter 41, verse 1. For two years Joseph sat in the prison, waiting for something to happen. Joseph had interpreted the dreams of the cupbearer and the baker. He asked the cupbearer to remember him to Pharaoh, but it did not come to pass. And so he waited, and waited, and waited. How often do we feel like Joseph, waiting for something good to happen? How often do we feel like we are waiting for a new job opportunity – waiting for a new relationship – waiting for a change, any change at all? We often feel like we are in prison, the prison of doubt and despair, indecision and indifference, loss and sadness. But, G-d is reminding Joseph that patient waiting bears out future opportunities — the opportunity to serve and to be exactly where G-d needs him for the greater good of all people.

What we learn from the story of Joseph is that G-d’s timeline is usually not our timeline. Where we hope to have our prayers answered now, we often find there is a process for which G-d is working and planning in G-d’s mysterious ways and timeline. Joseph waited two whole years for his chance to get out of a prison he neither deserved nor anticipated. My friends, G-d does not abandon G-d’s people nor does G-d forget about us. In time, G-d will resolve all things, but G-d will not resolve “each” thing. In other words, just because we have faith does not mean that we will then never experience loss, struggles, pain or suffering. Because we are human, we all will experience both the seasons of plenty and want, times of fruitlessness and times of fruitfulness, and both the good and the bad. But G-d will not allow the devil to win the day because G-d ultimately brings all things to completion through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. So, like Joseph, we continue to serve our Lord, no matter how good or how bad things are, because the best way to prepare for the coming of the Lord is to be active in loving service to G-d and to others.

Pastor Dave