Sat.’s Devo - God’s Devine Provision and Plan

Read: Genesis 41:17-42:17; Matthew 13:24-46; Psalm 18:1-15; Proverbs 4:1-6 Pharaoh told Joseph his dreams and Joseph immediately gave him the interpretation. God was showing Pharaoh what was going to happen in the future. There would be seven years of plenty and seven years of famine. The famine would be so harsh that it would eat up all the excess of the seven years of plenty. He had the dream twice because it was going to happen soon. *** Then Joseph took the opportunity to give him an solution to save his nation. He should appoint wise men and set them over the land. They would collect food during the good years and save them for the harsh years ahead. *** The Pharaoh was so impressed with Daniel’s insight about his dreams and the solution that he put him in charge of everything in his land. He gave him a new name which means “for God speaks and He lives” and Asenath as his wife. Her name means “gift of the son”. Together they had two sons: Manasseh (“causing to forget”) and Ephraim (“fruitfulness”). These sons described what God had done for Joseph. His joy caused him to forget all his brothers had done to him. He had forgiven them. Now he was able to be fruitful and blessed. *** Joseph and his men collected great amounts of food and grain during the first years and when the famine came, the people went to Joseph to buy grain. *** Jacob and his family were affected by the famine. He told his sons to do something about the lack of food. He had heard there was plenty in Egypt so they should go and buy them grain. They all went but Benjamin. *** Joseph was in charge of selling the grain so when his brothers came to Egypt, they came directly to him. They bowed down before him with their faces to the ground. Joseph recognized them but they didn’t recognize him. He put on an act and asked them roughly where they came from . He remembered the dreams he had dreamed (not the cruelty they had done toward him.) He accused them of being spies. They defended themselves by telling Joseph about their father and their family. Joseph pretended not to believe them and put them to a test. He told them they all would have to stay in prison and one of them could go and get the other brother to prove that their story was true. He put them in prison for three days while he worked out his plan. *** In Matthew, Jesus gives parable after parable explaining in code the secrets of God’s kingdom. Jesus had already established in the main parable that the seed is the Word of God which includes everything about God. God will pour out knowledge of himself to the world while Satan will be doing the same. In the end of the age, not the end of the world, God will send his angels to reap the good seed and burn up Satan’s seed. We are living in that time. We are walking into a new age, a new era of time when Christ will reign and his kingdom will be on earth like it is in heaven. *** We are the treasure hidden in the field and we are the pearl of great price. God gave his only begotten son to save us! This is the Good News! *** Lord, we are living in the most exciting times of history. This is what angels have been waiting to see. May we steward this time well and live in faith with our eyes on You and what you are saying and not the false prophets of the news. Thank you that you have stored up for us, for this time, what we need to survive the final battle with evil.