A few thoughts from today's Bible reading

Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt. In the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls. He gathered up all the food of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city, he laid up in the same. Joseph laid up grain as the sand of the sea, very much, until he stopped counting, for it was without number. To Joseph were born two sons before the year of famine came, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, bore to him. Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh, "For," he said, "God has made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house." The name of the second, he called Ephraim: "For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction." The seven years of plenty, that was in the land of Egypt, came to an end. The seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. When all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread, and Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, "Go to Joseph. What he says to you, do." The famine was over all the surface of the earth. Joseph opened all the store-houses, and sold to the Egyptians. The famine was severe in the land of Egypt. All countries came into Egypt, to Joseph, to buy grain, because the famine was severe in all the earth. (Genesis 41:46-57)

It's amazing how things can change for the good in a person's life so fast. Joseph would have said, "It's the Lord's doing and it's marvelous in our eyes."

13 years after he had left home and having gone through persecution by his own brothers, God had elevated him to a high position in a foreign land. He had spent 2 years in prison and at the end of it, he was honored by Pharaoh, king of Egypt, because he had interpreted Pharaoh's dreams. He was put in charge of a land that he was a foreigner in; he must never have prayed for that position but that was God's plan for him. It was God's reward for all the tribulations he had gone through. What's more, God gave him a family, and when 2 sons were born to him, he named the firstborn Manasseh which meant "God has made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house" and the second one he named Ephraim which meant "God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction."

We have hope because as believers in Jesus Christ, we serve the same unchanging God. He is in charge of our lives, restoring us and blessing us with wonderful blessings.