Stripped: Trusting God When He Allows Others to Hurt Youনমুনা

It’s been two years since Joseph interpreted the cupbearer’s dream and 13 years since Joseph was sold by his brothers. For him, it was another regular day of prison duty. For God, it was showtime. All the planning was finally about to be revealed; Joseph was about to get the best surprise of his life.

The night before, Pharaoh had two dreams which troubled him, so he consulted with all of his wise men, but no one could interpret the dreams. Watching the situation unfold, the cupbearer. Suddenly, his brain fog lifted and he remembered Joseph! He mentioned him to Pharaoh and they immediately sent for him.

“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” (Genesis 41:14, NIV).

Years after losing his ornate robe and dressing as a prisoner, Joseph received new clothes. He shaved, got dressed, and just as suddenly as he was thrown into the waterless pit, he was brought before the king of Egypt. How I wish I could have witnessed that transformation!

This was the moment God had been preparing, the reason for Joseph’s gift—there was no one else who could interpret those dreams but him! And once more, his response to Pharaoh demonstrates a man surrendered to God’s sovereignty.

“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.' 'I can not do it,' Joseph replied to Pharaoh, 'but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires'” (Genesis 41:15,16, NIV).

Joseph was clothed with humility. The pattern of pride and boasting he could have repeated was broken. He was a metamorphosed man ready for a destiny he had no idea how big and incredible was about to be uncovered.

THE DREAMS

Pharaoh shared with Joseph both of his dreams: extraordinary dreams and a phenomenal way God revealed the future, but most of all, the miraculous solution that saved millions of lives, provided via the most unexpected instrument: a slave, Hebrew prisoner.

The interpretation was revealed to Joseph: seven years of great abundance were coming, succeeded by seven years of severe famine. The reason there were two dreams for the same issue, was that “the matter has been firmly decided by God, and God will do it soon” (Genesis 41:32, NIV). Please, don’t miss that detail. Two dreams with the same interpretation meant that it was as good as done. This will happen.

As the words came out of Joseph’s mouth, did he remember the two dreams he had at 17? If double-dream meant certainty, then his long forgotten dreams were impending. If God said it, God will do it.

Joseph’s response was not limited to interpreting the dreams—he learned enough as an administrator to offer a solution. Thirteen years of training, through what he probably considered the least important jobs, flourished into amazing insight and wisdom in the presence of the purportedly wise men of Egypt (see Genesis 41: 33-40).

What a mind-blowing, unexpected development! A slave prisoner minutes earlier sitting in a dungeon, becomes the most powerful man in Egypt, second only to Pharaoh. Only God could have orchestrated that outcome!

If the cupbearer had not forgotten Joseph, what was the most Joseph could have achieved through his efforts? We don’t know, but it definitely wouldn’t have been the mother of all promotions! God’s plan was infinitely better, and the avalanche of blessings that were in store for Joseph were just beginning.

THE TRAINING

How did Joseph know the specific quantity of harvest they needed to store? One fifth of the harvest was a specific amount that only his quotidian jobs and training could have taught him. Often we despise our jobs in the meantime without realizing they are precisely what we’ll need for the task ahead.

Joseph was not attempting to self-promote by suggesting a plan. For all he knew, he was going back to prison after that meeting, plus there must have been other men with drastically better resumes to fill the position. Men that had served Pharaoh for years, playing the game of politics, trying to earn his approval and trust, vying for an opportunity to have influence and power. Then along comes this Hebrew prisoner (and handsome too) and gets the job of their dreams! Joseph’s resume was not impressive, but the God he served was magnificent.

Maybe the dreams and visions you thought God imparted to you were buried under the daily responsibilities of being a caretaker. Have you undervalued your work and time as a stay-at-home parent? You might feel like everyone else is miles ahead of you. Everyone else is achieving or have achieved their dreams, while you’ve been busy changing diapers.

A stripping may have caused you to stop pursuing a business idea. You’ve resigned yourself to a job you have zero passion for because it pays the bills and people depend on you. You feel a little piece of your soul dies each day, slowly burying what was left of the young dreamer you used to be.

Perhaps you are a parent estranged from your children because of someone else’s choices, and day after day you ache and yearn to have your children back in your life.

Maybe you feel embarrassed because you didn’t graduate high school or finish a degree you started. You think that to achieve greater things you need to do something extraordinary to rise above others in this competitive world.

Joseph’s story, however, encourages us to persevere on the path of righteousness, push through the pain, and trust that God will move us to the place He’s destined for each of us when the time is right.

He will give you exactly what you need for what He has prepared for you. In fact, you probably already have it and don’t know it. If the dreams were unquestionably His dreams, there may be others more qualified than you on paper, but none will take the place He designed for you, unless you give it up. Don’t undervalue your gifts or jobs, they are usually the training you need for the role only you can fulfill. It might not be quick, but it will seem sudden.

From favored son... to slave... to prisoner... to “vice-president” of the country.

Sounds not only implausible but impossible. But when you trust God, He is faithful. He will fulfill His promises. It’s impossible for Him not to. He is about to move the pieces on Joseph’s board the way only the God who speaks stars and galaxies into existence can. Get ready, this is the turning point.

To meditate:

• What does Joseph’s “I can not do it, but God will...” response mean to you?
• How have your jobs or career choices impacted your dreams?
• Is God reawakening a dream in your life? Is it different now?