Hard Times

For the past few weeks we've been talking about things like betrayal, temptation, and the injustices in our lives. Today I want to group all of that together and just talk a little bit about hard times in general.

Life is full of ups and downs. A star quarterback throws a game-winning touchdown, and his name is plastered all over the media. The following week, a bone crushing injury brings his career to a shocking end. But the opposite can also happen. A teenage girl living in poverty creates a YouTube video of her favorite song and it goes viral, traveling all over the world. Within days, she's offered multiple opportunities to sing. Her success inspires young musicians everywhere.

The sudden reversal of things in our lives can happen to all of us, creating a test of our faith and our character. Today we'll see Joseph travel from the prison to the Palace in a single day. His many years of suffering were finally repaid with a huge personal reward. Let's pay close attention to the way that Joseph kept his eyes on God through the good times and the bad. That’s what God wants us to hear today. He wants us to always stay focused on Him when times or good or bad. Don’t give up on God, but don’t forget about Him either.

Many times success goes to our heads. It can cause some to grow self-reliant and self-absorbed. But today let's notice how Joseph modeled for us what it means to remain faithful no matter how high or how low life takes us.

PRAYER

As it happened twice before, it was a dream that created a domino effect for Joseph. This was the third time this had happened. He first told his brothers about a dream and it landed him in Egyptian slavery. Later, the dreams of a baker and a cup bearer could have freed him from prison but didn't. Now, 2 years later, the powerful Egyptian pharaoh woke up with a troubled soul, desperately looking for someone to interpret his own dreams. This third dream sequence was going to catapult Joseph to incredible success. Our story begins in:

Genesis 41: 28-32 – “It is just as I told 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 After them, seven years of famine will take place, and all the abundance in the land of Egypt will be forgotten.

***The famine will devastate the land. 31 The abundance in the land will not be remembered because of the famine that follows it, for the famine will be very severe. 32 Since the dream was given twice to Pharaoh, it means that the matter has been determined by God, and he will carry it out soon.”

Pharaoh’s dreams were visually vivid. They included healthy grain, thin grain, fat cows, and skinny cows. Only God could give the meaning of those dreams, and that was to whom Joseph looked to when Pharaoh gave him the opportunity. Back in verse 16, Joseph said, “It is God who will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.” The bottom line of Pharaoh's two dreams was this. For 7 years, Egypt would have great abundance, but the following seven years would bring devastating famine.

This incident shows that following God daily helps keep our focused on Him. Just the way that Joseph unashamedly spoke for God should inspire us all. Pharaoh believed himself to be divine. Joseph unapologetically respected the one and only true God. Rather than giving himself the credit, drawing attention to his own ability to interpret dreams, he chose to give all glory to God. Joseph was thoroughly God-centered. In the lowest and in the highest moments of his journey nothing took his eyes off of the Lord.

I mentioned sudden reversals at the beginning of this message. Sudden reversals can be a test. When we experience a sudden reversal, moving from a good situation to a terrible one, we can become downcast. We might assume that God has abandoned us, and we become very upset by that.

On the other hand, when our lives take a turn for the better, we can be tempted to become big-headed, can't we? Instead of thinking God has forsaken us, we can be the ones who forsake God, walking away from Him in our thoughts and practices. In fact, success can often cause a greater spiritual struggle than a season of loss.

When Divine wisdom was needed, Joseph was ready. How? He maintained a walk with God, even during the dark days. So, when the light came, he was in a position to hear from God and to display the wisdom needed in that moment. His steady walk with God kept Joseph's focus clearly on the lord.