Survivor - Part 4 Series

The sojourn of Joseph is about to reach it’s apex. He has had a remarkable life of just 30 years. He has spent his entire adult life in the hands of and living in the land of the Egyptians.

The first thirteen years of his Egyptian captivity are spent in various motions. First, he is brought into the land as a Slave. Then, he is moved into the house of Potiphar, a high official in the administration of Pharoah. Then, he is entrapped by the frustrations of Potiphar’s wife. Then, he is sentenced to life without trial, hearing or appeal and placed into maximum security. Then his hopes have been raised by the predicament of a butler and a baker, who are assigned to the House of Pharoah. His anticipation becomes frustration when after asking the butler to remember him when he receives clemency, the butler does not remember his plight.

He is now in the sweet by and by. Although his life is still that of a stranger in a strange land, God has given him not revenge but reward. That is how the Lord operates – when we trust Him, He has a strange way of working things out for us. Romans 8:28 reminds us that we know, that all things work together for the good to those who love God, the called, according to His purpose.

Situations may cause Dispair, but God can give Hope.

Situations may cause Heartbreak, but God is a heart fixer.

Situations may cause trouble under the skin, but God is a mind regulator.

Situations may cause sorrow, but God promises never to leave us alone.

Situations may cause frustration, but God will work things out.

God has given Joseph a way out of his condition. It needs to be noted that God is able to take the same thing that got you into trouble and use it to get you out of trouble with it.

It was a man named Adam that got us into trouble, it was a man named Jesus that got us out of trouble.

It was a woman named Eve that got us into trouble, it was a woman used by God named Mary that gave birth to get us out of trouble.

It was a tree that was in the midst of a garden that got us into trouble, it was a tree that was planted into the ground at Golgotha, that got us out of trouble.

And it were the dreams of Joseph – that he saw his father and brothers bowing in obescience to him that got him out of trouble, and the dreams of Pharoah would now get him out of trouble.

God has decided to mess up the sleeping pattern of Pharoah. This is not an accidental sleeping disorder. This is purposeful. God has decided that this is the time to give Pharoah a dream. This is the season to give Pharoah a dream.

I often wonder if we fully understand that God moves at His own timetable. It’s a two sided coin:

On one hand, He moves when He is ready. When He feelts that the time is at hand, when He feels that the time is optimum, when He feels that the time is perfect.

However, on the other hand, He moves when He knows that we can handle it. The reason why somebody here today has been waiting on the Lord and praying and praying is that God knows that you are not ready to receive and handle the blessings of God.

The Disciples demonstrated this. They were set on a temporary mission and they decided to go on a healing campaign. They did not cast out any demons. They did not heal any blind folk. They did not even walk on any water. It wasn’t their time yet. But when the Holy Spirit descended and they received Power – they turned the world upside down.

Pharoah’s dreams have been haunting him. And no one could interpret his dream. His confidant, the Butler, now remembers that Joseph helped him. This is not happenstance. God allowed him to remember at the right time.

Somebody here has had trouble in their life and been at the brink of despair, only to remember that momma said, Trust in the Lord.

Somebody here has had heartaches to the point of giving up, only to remember that the preacher said, God is able.

Somebody here has felt like they couldn’t take it anymore, only to remember the words of the song, “The Lord will Make a Way Somehow..”

The Butler says there is somebody who can help you. I know that we are surrounded by a culture that worships inanimate objects. I know that we have the tree god, the moon god, the god of the sun, the god of the water. But there is a man who is connected to God who can help you.