Prepared For Influence

Genesis 41:37-46

Can we find anyone else like this man so obviously filled with the spirit of God? (Genesis 41:38)

JOSEPH HAD WAITED YEARS FOR an opportunity to get out of prison. Maybe he longed to return to his homeland or perhaps live without reminders of being sold into slavery by his brothers years before. Either way, the dreams God had given him—the ones that irritated his brothers so harshly—seemed to have been left in the past. But now Egypt’s pharaoh was pleased with Joseph’s wisdom and was promoting him to an extraordinarily high position. The Spirit that inspired and informed Joseph was clearly visible to those around him.

Many of us long for that kind of recognizable impact. We want to be endowed with wisdom, power, and love from on high, and we want people to see the presence of the Spirit within us. We’re disappointed when our beliefs are dismissed as out of touch, irrelevant, or simpleminded by the world and when our gifts are not appreciated or valued by the body of Christ. We forget that Joseph was rejected by his brothers, falsely accused by his master’s wife, imprisoned by his master, and forgotten by other prisoners who could have advocated for his release. He spent years in the lower rungs of society, finding favor with God and occasionally with other people, but still confined by unfortunate circumstances. He appeared to be stuck.

We can relate to that, but we have to remind ourselves that we are never stuck in our circumstances, no matter how confined we feel or how long we have felt that way. The day before Joseph was called before Pharaoh to interpret his dreams, he had been forgotten in prison for two long years and had no prospects of getting out. God’s solution was a day away, but Joseph couldn’t see it. All he could do was grow strong in the Spirit until God’s plan unfolded. Whatever dreams you have for serving God and influencing this world, make that your priority. His doors open at the perfect time for those who have prepared their hearts for his timing.

{Lord, I don’t have to see open doors to know that you are the one who opens them. I trust your timing. Prepare my heart to carry the weight of my calling, and make me strong in the Spirit for the works you’ve prepared. Amen.