Well, I opened an email today with this as the "subject" in the subject line. That's all it said. The thing that let me know that it was probably worth reading is that it came from one of my FAVORITE writers of ALL time. The great Janet Paschal. I absolutely LOVE to read anything she writes or hear any song she writes. It's always bound to make the wheels of your mind work. Her books are at the very top of my favorites list. Always will be! I love thinkers.....who have the ability to take life in general and little pieces of it and put those moments into words that mean something.
So....here it is - a thought for the day from Janet Paschal..........
There is an old German proverb which states, “The wheels of God grind slowly, but, oh, so fine.” Through the years I have reminded myself of that phrase when the wicked prospered and justice seemed unjust. I have been comforted by a stubborn belief that God is the final authority on correction, but it was only recently that the flip side of this saying occurred to me.
Perhaps that is what was in play when Joseph trudged through God’s plan for him. Despite my best efforts, I can hardly imagine living this dreamer’s life. Born with familial scoundrels in his lineage, he became the favored son of his father. When he shared with his unpampered brothers two dreams that they would, one day, bow down to him, they took their first opportunity to promptly wrestle the teenager into a pit. (Wrestling ran in the family.) A traveling flea market happened by and they sold him for twenty pieces of silver. Joseph was taken to Egypt and sold to Pharoah’s captain of the guard.
Joseph was favored of the Lord and he became successful in everything he did. Living in his master’s house, he caught the eye of Potiphar’s wife, who was frustrated by his refusal of her advances. She wrongfully accused him and he was thrown into prison. But even there, Joseph’s favor from the Lord quickly became obvious and he was made responsible for his fellow inmates.
Some time later, Joseph was assigned two additional prisoners, the king’s chief cupbearer and chief baker. When they each had dreams which disturbed them, Joseph proceeded to interpret them. Knowing that the cupbearer would be returned to the king’s service, he asked him to mention his situation to the king. Three days later, when his interpretations proved accurate and the cupbearer was restored to his position, he forgot about Joseph.
Two years passed, and King Pharoah had a dream. He inquired of all of the magicians and wise men, but none could interpret it. Suddenly, his cupbearer remembered Joseph and told Pharoah about the young Hebrew in the dungeon. Pharoah immediately called for him.
Joseph meticulously dressed and groomed for a meeting with the king. When Pharoah recounted his dreams, Joseph proceeded to explain their meanings. Recognizing the spirit of God evident in him, Pharoah put Joseph in charge of the entire land of Egypt, second in command only to himself. Joseph was thirty years old.
You know the rest of the story. Seven years of plenty allowed Joseph to fill their storehouses with grain, in preparation for the seven years of famine. People from all over the world came to buy grain from Egypt. Joseph’s brothers did not recognize him when they came to buy, but he knew them. Eventually, he revealed himself to them, adding, ‘Do not be distressed and angry at yourselves for selling me here, because it was to saves lives that God sent me ahead of you.’
Whew. What I hear him say is that it was all in God’s plan. God knew about the dungeon. God knew about the chains. God knew that the cupbearer would forget and Potiphar’s wife would lie. God, alone, knew that the king would dream.
The wheels of God ground slowly. Joseph was seventeen when he was sold into slavery; thirty when he was appointed to the second highest office in the land. For thirteen years he labored dutifully, woke and slept, prayed and pressed in to the heart of God. All the while, the patient, longsuffering wheels of God’s design were grinding his intractable conviction into a rich covering, a fine veil of favor and blessing, a life flush with faith and rigid with resolve.
Had Joseph expected to be rewarded for his success in the service of Potiphar he would have been sorely disappointed. Had he expected to be exonerated of the false charges brought against him, he would have waited in vain. Had he anticipated that his interpretation of the cupbearer’s dream would free him from the dungeon, he would have, again, found himself disillusioned. Joseph, instead, lived with the great expectation that God was with him, that His purposes were worthwhile, and that he would not be disappointed.
Was he ever right.
Perhaps that is what was in play when Joseph trudged through God’s plan for him. Despite my best efforts, I can hardly imagine living this dreamer’s life. Born with familial scoundrels in his lineage, he became the favored son of his father. When he shared with his unpampered brothers two dreams that they would, one day, bow down to him, they took their first opportunity to promptly wrestle the teenager into a pit. (Wrestling ran in the family.) A traveling flea market happened by and they sold him for twenty pieces of silver. Joseph was taken to Egypt and sold to Pharoah’s captain of the guard.
Joseph was favored of the Lord and he became successful in everything he did. Living in his master’s house, he caught the eye of Potiphar’s wife, who was frustrated by his refusal of her advances. She wrongfully accused him and he was thrown into prison. But even there, Joseph’s favor from the Lord quickly became obvious and he was made responsible for his fellow inmates.
Some time later, Joseph was assigned two additional prisoners, the king’s chief cupbearer and chief baker. When they each had dreams which disturbed them, Joseph proceeded to interpret them. Knowing that the cupbearer would be returned to the king’s service, he asked him to mention his situation to the king. Three days later, when his interpretations proved accurate and the cupbearer was restored to his position, he forgot about Joseph.
Two years passed, and King Pharoah had a dream. He inquired of all of the magicians and wise men, but none could interpret it. Suddenly, his cupbearer remembered Joseph and told Pharoah about the young Hebrew in the dungeon. Pharoah immediately called for him.
Joseph meticulously dressed and groomed for a meeting with the king. When Pharoah recounted his dreams, Joseph proceeded to explain their meanings. Recognizing the spirit of God evident in him, Pharoah put Joseph in charge of the entire land of Egypt, second in command only to himself. Joseph was thirty years old.
You know the rest of the story. Seven years of plenty allowed Joseph to fill their storehouses with grain, in preparation for the seven years of famine. People from all over the world came to buy grain from Egypt. Joseph’s brothers did not recognize him when they came to buy, but he knew them. Eventually, he revealed himself to them, adding, ‘Do not be distressed and angry at yourselves for selling me here, because it was to saves lives that God sent me ahead of you.’
Whew. What I hear him say is that it was all in God’s plan. God knew about the dungeon. God knew about the chains. God knew that the cupbearer would forget and Potiphar’s wife would lie. God, alone, knew that the king would dream.
The wheels of God ground slowly. Joseph was seventeen when he was sold into slavery; thirty when he was appointed to the second highest office in the land. For thirteen years he labored dutifully, woke and slept, prayed and pressed in to the heart of God. All the while, the patient, longsuffering wheels of God’s design were grinding his intractable conviction into a rich covering, a fine veil of favor and blessing, a life flush with faith and rigid with resolve.
Had Joseph expected to be rewarded for his success in the service of Potiphar he would have been sorely disappointed. Had he expected to be exonerated of the false charges brought against him, he would have waited in vain. Had he anticipated that his interpretation of the cupbearer’s dream would free him from the dungeon, he would have, again, found himself disillusioned. Joseph, instead, lived with the great expectation that God was with him, that His purposes were worthwhile, and that he would not be disappointed.
Was he ever right.
Blessings to you all,
Janet
Janet
3 comments:
I am blessed to read this early in the am and say a warm thanks to you, Janet and our always-right God!
Jesus is my hero and Joseph a close third! Who is second? Have you met Ed?
Sorry for my bad english. Thank you so much for your good post. Your post helped me in my college assignment, If you can provide me more details please email me.
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