5 Oct 2026
October 5, 2026; Genesis 41:1-40
Daily Dose of Hope
October 5, 2026
Scripture: Genesis 41:1-40
Prayer: Abba Father, We come to you today, grateful for your love and care in our lives. Thank you for your presence and your peace. Help us to gather our scattered thoughts and set aside distractions so we can focus on what you have for us today. In the next few moments of silence, Lord, help me be still and know that you are God...We give you all the glory, Lord Almighty. Amen.
Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope daily Bible reading plan. We are currently doing a deep dive into the book of Genesis. Today's reading is the first half of Genesis 40.
Everything is in God's timing, isn't it? It's been two years since Joseph interpreted the dreams of the baker of the cupbearer and he has been stuck down in the dungeon. I wonder what Joseph thought during those two years, what his prayers were like. I mean, he had been sold into slavery and then unjustly thrown in prison in this foreign land. There is no indication that he ever doubts God or is angry at him. I'm assuming he simply trusted. But there had to have been some pretty bad days and some pretty desperate prayers. Afterall, he was only human and all of this was traumatic.
But now, the time has come for God to interpret Pharoah's dreams through Joseph. Did you catch how Joseph is careful to not take credit for himself? When Pharoah asks if Joseph can interpret his dreams, Joseph is quick to say that he cannot, but God can. I think this is a great lesson for all of us.
When we do the work of God, it's easy to sometimes take the credit. I have this issue with preaching. Preaching is an activity of God. When we preach, it's God who directs, God who leads, and God who gives words. I obviously have a small part in it, but I couldn't do anything without God. So, if someone likes the message and tells me it's good, I try to make sure I give credit where credit is due – to Jesus! Sometimes, I slip up and don't emphasize that enough. Please know that I'm not comparing myself to Joseph, but I get his drift. We need to be careful.
So, Joseph does some dream interpreting and Pharoah is impressed. He also now knows that Egypt is in for some future trouble. There will be seven years of abundance and seven years of severe famine. That means a lot of organization and preparation. During the years of abundance, they will need to save enough to sustain the people during the famine. Historians estimate that about two million people lived in Egypt at that time, so that is a lot of people to feed during the seven years of famine. Pharoah is going to need a competent person to oversee this whole process. He deliberates and decides, who better to lead the whole endeavor than Joseph?
Thus, Pharoah decides to lift Joseph from model prisoner to second in command of the whole nation of Egypt. He goes from rags to riches, literally, in the matter of a few minutes. God had a bigger plan the whole time. In his timing.
Blessing,
Pastor Vicki
