Daily Reading
Daily Thought
Seventeen-year-old Joseph had two dreams of his future. Real dreams, the kind that show up when you are asleep. Sheaves of wheat in one, the sun, moon, and stars in the other, and they all bowed down to Joseph. Those dreams spoke of great promise someday, but so far, they had been nothing but trouble. Joseph, the “dreamer” his brothers called him, had been disowned by his family, enslaved in Egypt, and forgotten in prison.
Joseph, now 30, is sitting in a dark prison cell, when he is called before the Pharaoh. “I have had a dream,” said Pharaoh, “and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it” (Genesis 41:15).
If you are Joseph, how do you feel about that? You once had dreams. God showed you a great future, but nothing so far has come of it. Joseph could say, “Me first, God. What about the answers to my dreams?” But he didn’t. Instead, Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires” (Genesis 41:16). Joseph said, “God first,” and told Pharaoh the meaning of his dreams.
That is when Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are. You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command. Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you” (Genesis 41:39-40). And they all bowed down to Joseph, the dreamer. The dreams came true.
Joseph’s story had a happy ending, but Joseph didn’t know that when Pharaoh asked for his help. What Joseph did know was the first thing to do is put God first.
“Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).
Daily Prayer
Heavenly Father, You called me and saved me in order to make me like Your Son, my Lord Jesus Christ. Change me, day by day, by the work of Your Holy Spirit, so that I may grow more like Jesus in all that I think and say and do.
Help me to remain faithful to You and Your calling upon my life. Strengthen and grow my trust in You, as the trials and experiences of life shape my faith. You know best, God. Help me remember that. It’s amazing how much different, how much better, how good my life is, when I put You first.
Amen