So the advice was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants. And Pharaoh said to his servants, "Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?" Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you." And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt." (NKJV)
ThoughtsLove a photo of a successful hunter with his or her harvest. But, as Paul Harvey would agree - we are usually not aware of the "rest of the story." Before that successful hunt, there were many disappointing unsuccessful hunts, missed shots, uncooperative weather ensuring miserable conditions, years of hiking the terrain, vehicle break downs, etc. That's why we can celebrate with the successful hunter and the adventure. He or she has been through a lot to earn that picture.
Most of us learn the hard way through the toughest challenges. Even waterproof matches came about after someone needed a match to strike and theirs were too wet to suffice. Look at Joseph's seasoning and note what he had to travel through to become seasoned and God positioned under Pharaoh:
- His flaunting of his father's favor and his own cocky behavior brought out the worst in his siblings - they were going to kill him and instead sold him into slavery!
- His refusal to enter into betraying his master with his master's unfaithful wife landed him into prison for many years.
- The chief butler forgot about him; he was stuck in prison with the Holy Spirit developing his character for another 2 years.
Action PointWe can tell Joseph wasn't sitting around feeling sorry for himself. God was with him, he was proved trustworthy, and was given much responsibility while incarcerated. He was right where God positioned him. He has set the example of what we're to do while in the midst of uncertain circumstances.
The famine in Joseph's time was over the whole Earth. You're not alone in your bleak situation. But, you can take 30 seconds, commit your life to Him, ask for His forgiveness, turn everything over to Him, reserve your spot in Heaven, and know He will position you where you need to be.
Maybe you have been trusting Him all along, then rest in the confidence of God's promise given in Psalms 84:11, "For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly," (NKJV).
Our dark training will last as long as it takes for God to prepare and to complete His seasoning within us. The key to active waiting is:
- To stay close to Him.
- To meditate on His living word.
- To live obediently in His light.
We know we can trust Him to build our character and develop our seasoning for our God positioned upcoming adventures. Joseph's famous response to his brothers is encouraging, "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive," (NASB). God will take the good and the bad and use it for His glory and our good.
We need to trust God like Joseph wherever we find ourselves. We need to have faith believing that He has or is positioning us right where we are.
Sportsmen's Tip of the Day
When hunting on the ground, make sure there is plenty of structure behind you so your silhouette won't alert game to your presence. Also make sure the wind is in your face.1
1 Steve Chapman, 365 Things Every Hunter Should Know.
