Then Pharaoh sent and
called Joseph, and they quickly brought him out of the pit. And when he had
shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came in before Pharaoh. And Pharaoh
said to Joseph, "I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret
it. I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret
it." Joseph answered Pharaoh, "It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh
a favorable answer." (Bereshit / Genesis 41:14-16; ESV)
Last week I explained that the Bible is not about exceptional people, but rather ordinary
people trusting an exceptional God. Joseph is certainly one of the shinier
lights among Bible characters. Yet he wasn't perfect. Like the rest of us, he
didn't always make the wisest of decisions. Still, he remains a remarkable
individual, who endured great hardship and became a wise and able leader. That
ordinary people like Joseph can accomplish exceptional things should encourage
you and me to be ready to do the same - not exactly the same, of course, but to
be ready to do whatever exceptional things God calls us to do.
Recognizing
that greatness is not derived from ourselves but from God doesn't mean that we
can't learn from the lives of people like Joseph. Giving God credit for our
successes doesn't mean that we are to be completely passive. Far from it! The
more we realize how much we need God to live effective lives, the more we will
be actively dependent on him. This is evident in Joseph. Notice how he was
confident to interpret Pharaoh's dream but knew that the ability to do so came
from God, not himself.
How could it
be, after all he went through, that Joseph could be so wise, clear, confident,
and genuinely humble? Why didn't his years in a dungeon turn him into an
animal? He had been imprisoned for something he didn't do - worse than that, he
was doing what was right in resisting the lustful advances of Pharaoh's wayward
wife, but in the end was spitefully framed by her. The reason why he was in
Egypt at all was due to his brothers' murderous jealousy. His own brothers sold
him into slavery! Stop for a second and think how such horrendous circumstances
would affect you. Yet, when the time came he is advising Pharaoh in world
affairs and becomes a key player in God's rescue operation for the whole world
by preserving his own clan, the people of Israel. Why wasn't he completely
dysfunctional?
The reason
why Joseph was able to rise up to the occasion is he was ready. We don't know a
lot about his life in Egypt prior to his appearing before Pharaoh, except that
God was with him and made him successful, both as a slave and then as a
prisoner. But that God was with him doesn't mean life was nice and easy. In
spite of horrible circumstances, in both situations, he faithfully gave himself
to his work, serving others diligently. He kept on doing good amidst the most
dismal of environments. Reading through his story it is clear that the
character of the person who advised Pharaoh was the same as the one who had
spent years as a slave and wrongly convicted prisoner.
How many of
us are waiting for our big break? How many people are wishing for some golden
opportunity to come our way that will make us famous? Or perhaps you just want
to make a positive difference, but wonder why you find yourself stuck in a
boring job, doing nothing much for no apparent reason.
I don't know
why you are doing what you are doing. I don't know why you are in the situation
you are in. I don't know what opportunities are coming your way or if you will
ever get that big break. But I do know this: opportunities are not going to
make you into something you are not. Your problems might, that is if you remain
teachable through them; so that you will be ready for whatever it is God might
be preparing you for. But if you are simply biding your time, hoping your
problems will disappear, thinking that one day you will show the world how
great you are, you're deluded. It's time to get ready, before it's too late.
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