Day 40 – Issue 11

Be Still Know

Genesis 41:1 NLT

‘Two full years later, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing on the bank of the Nile River.’

Joseph, through no fault of his own, is cast into a deep dungeon where he calls upon his prophetic gifting to interpret the dreams of two fellow inmates. One finds himself reinstated to his position of service in the household of Pharaoh, yet takes two whole years before recalling his promise to remember Joseph to Pharaoh. In those two years we can only imagine that Joseph, rather than giving way to despair, anger and disappointment, continued simply to deepen his relationship with God. He never stopped believing that God would honour the dream that he’d had as a youth.

The road of discipleship is neither smooth nor straight. It is, in fact, a road we must cherish, for along it God places a whole host of events which lead to experiences, the consequences of which teach us more about ourselves, others and the God whom we worship.

Like the seed of Jesus’ parable, each one of us has cause to struggle with growing into fruitfulness. Our faith in God, as well as our serious ambition to follow Jesus, can hit obstacles. Our commitment can prove to be no more than an emotional response to a powerful invitation. We can fail to engage in searching after God in the quietness and deepening our roots of faith so we are not withered by the heat of the day. Or alternative distractions can come to capture our attention and eventually our devotion so that we feel we have outgrown our season of faith.

God invites each one of us to sow such a seed of hope that as it is watered by the grace of God and our own faithfulness, it grows to provide a healthy habitation for the many confused and lost souls who wander the streets of our cities in search of meaning and inner peace.

QUESTION: Lift your eyes from the stuff of your everyday life and gaze once more upon the cross of Christ. Ask of God what dream you are to nurture in the days ahead.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, help me to persevere, to keep walking and to set my eyes on the prize that you have set before us. 

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright C 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc, Wheaton, Illinois 60189 USA. All rights reserved.