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Genesis 41:47-57 Preparing for a Famine

08 Oct

47 During the seven years of abundance the land produced plentifully. 48 Joseph collected all the food produced in those seven years of abundance in Egypt and stored it in the cities. In each city he put the food grown in the fields surrounding it. 49 Joseph stored up huge quantities of grain, like the sand of the sea; it was so much that he stopped keeping records because it was beyond measure.

50 Before the years of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. 51 Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh and said, “It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.” 52 The second son he named Ephraim and said, “It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.”

53 The seven years of abundance in Egypt came to an end, 54 and the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all the other lands, but in the whole land of Egypt there was food. 55 When all Egypt began to feel the famine, the people cried to Pharaoh for food. Then Pharaoh told all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph and do what he tells you.”

56 When the famine had spread over the whole country, Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe throughout Egypt. 57 And all the world came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe everywhere.

Dear God, it occurs to me that I know a Joseph. Her name is Sara. You nudged Sara 19 years ago and suggested that people in our town needed medical help. You encouraged her to do something about it, which she did. Now, in a time when medical help is harder and harder to find, I see people coming to our clinic looking for medical help, much like people went to Egypt for food.

The Saras of the world are few and far between. I know that I am not a Sara and I am at peace with that. It took me a while to get to a point where I was at peace with that. People like Sara, with their entrepreneurial, “let’s see what we can make out of nothing” spirit amaze me. I have always wanted to be like that. But that is not how you gifted me. You gifted me to be an operations person. You gifted me to be a relationship person. I don’t have the vision. I have the ability to come alongside the visionary and, with your help and power, make their dreams become reality.

I guess that is why I asked Sara to have lunch with me this week. We are facing some operational challenges at the Center, and I want to get her advice. I want to get her input. I want to get her vision. I think the key for me, when it comes to all of this, is that I need to remain humble enough to look to you for guidance and then seek that guidance, no matter what it my cost me or my ego.

Father, please continue to enable us to find medical resources for our patients. I don’t know that this famine will ever end. It seems that medical resources are only going to continue to get more and more scarce. Help me to manage all of this and to be there to be your hands and feet as we serve our patients.

 
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Posted by on October 8, 2011 in Genesis

 

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Genesis 41:41-46 Joseph’s New Job

08 Oct

41 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.” 42 Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. 43 He had him ride in a chariot as his second-in-command, and people shouted before him, “Make way!” Thus he put him in charge of the whole land of Egypt.

44 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your word no one will lift hand or foot in all Egypt.” 45 Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah and gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife. And Joseph went throughout the land of Egypt.

46 Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from Pharaoh’s presence and traveled throughout Egypt.

Dear God, I can’t remember how old Joseph was when the brothers sold him into slavery, but I am pretty sure he was an early teen. That would mean he spent half of his life in some form of slavery (although he had some power during the Potiphar years). I wonder how often he thought back to those dreams he told his brothers and father about. I wonder how many times he was ready to give up in despair when he would remember that you had promised him something special. I wonder how many times he wondered if the dreams were wrong or if he were wrong. Hope is an interesting thing, but I almost wonder if you didn’t give him those dreams as a child so that he could keep his faith and his hope when he was older.

It seems that you are always preparing us for the future, even when we don’t know it. You are giving us experiences now that will help us later. It isn’t until much, much later that we can look back and put it all together. I went through a three-year wilderness of sorts, although it honestly wasn’t that bad compared with what other people suffer. It feels like I am in a bit of a wilderness now with the challenges I face each day, but, again, can I really complain when I see how others suffer? The truth is, my life is pretty good and easy. You are just using some of these struggles to refine me.

Father, I thank you that you love me. I thank you that you sustain me. I thank you that you provide for me. I am not worthy of the unbelievable blessings you give to me. I am not worthy of your grace. But you give it all to me anyway because you are more benevolent than I can imagine. So help me to be a good steward of everything over which you have given me charge. Help me to be a leader, but also a servant. Help me to love others more than I love myself. Help me to sacrifice for your glory and not my own. I am not asking for anything special for me. I am simply asking that you use me as you will and help me to completely submit my life to you.

 
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Posted by on October 8, 2011 in Genesis

 

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Genesis 41:14-40 It’s About Time

08 Oct

14 So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the dungeon. When he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came before Pharaoh.

15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.”

16 “I cannot do it,” Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.”

17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile, 18 when out of the river there came up seven cows, fat and sleek, and they grazed among the reeds. 19 After them, seven other cows came up—scrawny and very ugly and lean. I had never seen such ugly cows in all the land of Egypt. 20 The lean, ugly cows ate up the seven fat cows that came up first. 21 But even after they ate them, no one could tell that they had done so; they looked just as ugly as before. Then I woke up.

22 “In my dream I saw seven heads of grain, full and good, growing on a single stalk. 23 After them, seven other heads sprouted—withered and thin and scorched by the east wind. 24 The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads. I told this to the magicians, but none of them could explain it to me.”

25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads of grain are seven years; it is one and the same dream. 27 The seven lean, ugly cows that came up afterward are seven years, and so are the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind: They are seven years of famine.

28 “It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. 29 Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt, 30 but seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land. 31 The abundance in the land will not be remembered, because the famine that follows it will be so severe. 32 The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter has been firmly decided by God, and God will do it soon.

33 “And now let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and put him in charge of the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. 35 They should collect all the food of these good years that are coming and store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh, to be kept in the cities for food. 36 This food should be held in reserve for the country, to be used during the seven years of famine that will come upon Egypt, so that the country may not be ruined by the famine.”

37 The plan seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his officials. 38 So Pharaoh asked them, “Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God?”

39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. 40 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.”

Dear God, I find it interesting that Joseph was so eager and intentional about giving you the credit for all of this. He didn’t have to. He didn’t have to say that you had given him the dream. He didn’t have to say that you had given him the interpretation of the dream. All he had to say was, “There are seven years of plenty coming that will be followed by seven years of famine. Buckle up.” But he didn’t. He challenged Pharaoh’s religious beliefs by being sure to give you the glory for the dreams, their interpretation, and even the control of the weather. Pharaoh was left with no doubt where Joseph was coming from.

I hope that I am that way. I think I am at times, but I don’t know that I am that way all of the time. I do think that I start to take a little too much credit for myself. I think I get to enjoying the praise that others give me a little too much. I forget to lead with you, continue with you and finish with you in what I say. Instead, I might throw a little credit to you as I go, but I could probably do a better job of wearing you on my sleeves a little more.

Father, help me to give you glory for everything that I do and everything around me. Help me to reveal your presence to others and to show them how you are working to love and support them. I have some friends who are struggling financially as well as other ways, and I hope that you will reveal yourself to them. Use me however you will in their lives. The same goes for patients that we come across. And my wife and children too. Help me to a revealer of you to them. Help others to see you, and use me however you will to reveal your presence to others so that they might be drawn closer to you and worship you.

 
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Posted by on October 8, 2011 in Genesis

 

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Genesis 41:9-13 Joseph Remembered

08 Oct

9 Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I am reminded of my shortcomings. 10 Pharaoh was once angry with his servants, and he imprisoned me and the chief baker in the house of the captain of the guard. 11 Each of us had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own. 12 Now a young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he interpreted them for us, giving each man the interpretation of his dream. 13 And things turned out exactly as he interpreted them to us: I was restored to my position, and the other man was impaled.”

Dear God, of course, it is hard to know what the cupbearer actually said, but I like this first line: “Today I am reminded of my shortcomings.” Wow, ain’t that truth? But I would say that the redeeming side of this story is that the cupbearer probably actually did what he was supposed to do. None of us are big enough to mess up your plans. You know us and you know our “shortcomings”. You know where we will succeed and where we will fail. In this case, you knew that the cupbearer would forget about Joseph until this moment. It was okay. It was part of your plan.

I read an interview with Phil Vischer, the creator of VeggieTales, last night and he kind of said the same thing. I forget what the interviewer asked him, but he said that he now knows that he can’t do it all so he works as hard as he can and then he rests. He knows there are things being left undone, but that is okay because you know that he can’t do it all so you have provided the church to do the rest.

I get pretty wrapped up here in trying to make sure everything gets done by me as much as possible. Actually, I would say that I was that way until a few months ago. More recently, I have been broken a bit and understand that I have to rely on others because there is simply too much for me to do. There are too many variables. Too many tasks. I need to focus on my part and then let the others do their parts. That is how you designed it all.

Father, help me to turn my palms upside down, let go of all I am holding on to, and then flip them and raise them up to you so that you can fill them. If I am holding on to things then I cannot grasp what you have for me. So help me to work hard, work as unto you, allow you to bless my work, and pursue you diligently.

 
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Posted by on October 8, 2011 in Genesis

 

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Genesis 41:1-8 Dream Weaver

08 Oct

1 When two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing by the Nile, 2 when out of the river there came up seven cows, sleek and fat, and they grazed among the reeds. 3 After them, seven other cows, ugly and gaunt, came up out of the Nile and stood beside those on the riverbank. 4 And the cows that were ugly and gaunt ate up the seven sleek, fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.

5 He fell asleep again and had a second dream: Seven heads of grain, healthy and good, were growing on a single stalk. 6 After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted—thin and scorched by the east wind. 7 The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy, full heads. Then Pharaoh woke up; it had been a dream.

8 In the morning his mind was troubled, so he sent for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him.

Dear God, wow, two years. I wonder how Joseph was doing, sitting there in prison for a long time. I wonder what his prayers were like. I wonder if he had stopped praying altogether, or if he was even more strengthened in his faith. I also wonder how things were going back home with Jacob and the fam during this time. We know what was happening with Judah. I wonder what was happening with the rest of them.

Then there is Pharaoh and his dream. Every time we enter a drought like we are in now, I think of this story and wonder if we didn’t just finish the seven good years and we are now in the seven lean years. Did anyone get a dream warning them? Are we prepared if things really go south?

I think that one of the messages of this story is that, it might not be pretty, but you find a way to provide for us. Not only were you showing the Israelites your provision through this story, but you were showing the Egyptians your provision too. You really do give us a way. All we have to do is find it. You know, now that I think about it, you even used the cupbearer’s imprisonment as part of your plan. And who is to say that, if he had told Pharaoh about Joseph earlier that Pharaoh would have done anything about it. Maybe Joseph had to sit in jail those extra two years in order for the plan to unfold the way it did.

Father, I am blessed beyond measure, and I am grateful. Thank you. Please help me to be at peace in my circumstances, and to know how you are guiding me at any given point. Right now, I feel a little lost in the middle of everything, but perhaps that is where you want me. Perhaps you want me to close my eyes, reach out for your hand, and have you lead me. If that is so, then I will relish in this sense of being lost and let you show me each step I should take.

 
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Posted by on October 8, 2011 in Genesis

 

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Genesis 37:12-21 Hatching a Plot

07 Oct

12 Now his brothers had gone to graze their father’s flocks near Shechem, 13 and Israel said to Joseph, “As you know, your brothers are grazing the flocks near Shechem. Come, I am going to send you to them.”

 “Very well,” he replied.

 14 So he said to him, “Go and see if all is well with your brothers and with the flocks, and bring word back to me.” Then he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron.

 When Joseph arrived at Shechem, 15 a man found him wandering around in the fields and asked him, “What are you looking for?”

 16 He replied, “I’m looking for my brothers. Can you tell me where they are grazing their flocks?”

 17 “They have moved on from here,” the man answered. “I heard them say, ‘Let’s go to Dothan.’”

 So Joseph went after his brothers and found them near Dothan. 18 But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him.

 19 “Here comes that dreamer!” they said to each other. 20 “Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.”

 21 When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. “Let’s not take his life,” he said. 22 “Don’t shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.” Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father.

Dear God, it is interesting that it is Reuben who tries to take care of Joseph here. Earlier, Genesis goes out of its way to mention that Reuben slept with one of his father’s concubines (or whatever the woman’s designation was). Now, it says that Reuben wanted to save Joseph from his brothers. Are the two linked? Was the author intimating that Reuben felt guilt over what he had done and wanted to save Joseph? Or did Reuben simply not have the stomach to do this to Joseph?

It can be hard to stand up to a group of others when you are the lone voice. I have had opportunities in my life to be, what I considered to be, the voice of reason. Sometimes I took advantage of it and said what I had to say, and sometimes I let the opportunity go by and went with the flow. I suppose we all make each choice at one time or another. The question is, do we learn from our mistakes and make the right decision more and more often?

Father, help me to be willing to stand up and defend you and holy values at any given time, regardless of what the personal cost might be to me. Help me to speak with eloquence as people come to me and challenge what I feel from you is right. Give me the courage to lead my family. Give me the courage to lead this organization where I work. I want to bring glory to you so that you might touch others and draw them into complete relationship to you.

 
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Posted by on October 7, 2011 in Genesis

 

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