Genesis 41:14: “Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him quickly out of the dungeon; and he shaved, changed his clothing, and came to Pharaoh.

October 26th, 2022 by Pastor Ed in devotional

When the chief butler who was in prison with Joseph was released, he promised to put in a good word for Joseph. A week went by but no word came to Joseph. Then two weeks came and went. Then a month, then a year, and then, by verse 14, it had been two years since the chief butler had been released. No doubt Joseph was discouraged and probably thinking, “The butler forgot me. I wonder if God has forgotten me too?” He could have thought negatively about his brothers: “If I could just get my hands on my brothers.” He also could have thought negatively about the wife of Potiphar, who lied about him and got him thrown in prison: “I didn’t do anything wrong! Why am I here in this dungeon?” Joseph must have been discouraged in that prison cell since, by this point, he was 30 years old and had been in captivity since he was 17.

Joseph must have felt like he had wasted the best years of his life in prison. Have you ever been there? Most believers have at least once in their walk. But then Joseph was suddenly grabbed out of the darkness and hastily thrust into the limelight. He unexpectedly found himself standing before the most powerful man on earth, the Pharaoh of Egypt, who had a problem only Joseph’s God could solve. Now we can see the wisdom of God’s careful preparation of this man. Joseph had become a man of God, filled with godly wisdom and understanding. And the more he told, the more he was trusted; the more he spoke, the more God was displayed (glorified), and the more others were blessed. God saw what Joseph was going to be in the future and walked with him for 13 years, helping him grow; and then, slowly, He introduced him to the waiting world. Patience, pilgrim, God is still working on you; and at the right time, His workmanship will become obvious.

“LORD, we chose integrity, please empower us to be people of character today. We desperately need You to move in us and through us throughout this day.”