Genesis 41:9-57 KJV 9 Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day: 10 Pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me in ward in the captain of the guard's house, both me and the chief baker: 11 And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream. 12 And there was there with us a young man, an Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did interpret. 13 And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged. 14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh. 15 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it. 16 And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace. 17 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river: 18 And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed and well favoured; and they fed in a meadow: 19 And, behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill favoured and leanfleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness: 20 And the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine: 21 And when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them; but they were still ill favoured, as at the beginning. So I awoke. 22 And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up in one stalk, full and good: 23 And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them: 24 And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears: and I told this unto the magicians; but there was none that could declare it to me. 25 And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do. 26 The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one. 27 And the seven thin and ill favoured kine that came up after them are seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine. 28 This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: What God is about to do he sheweth unto Pharaoh. 29 Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt: 30 And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land; 31 And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous. 32 And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass. 33 Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years. 35 And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities. 36 And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine. 37 And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants. 38 And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is? 39 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: 40 Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. 41 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt. 42 And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; 43 And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt. 44 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt. 45 And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnathpaaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt. 46 And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt. 47 And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls. 48 And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same. 49 And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering; for it was without number. 50 And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, which Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On bare unto him. 51 And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house. 52 And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction. 53 And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of Egypt, were ended. 54 And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. 55 And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do. 56 And the famine was over all the face of the earth: And Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt. 57 And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands. I can help but think about this hurricane that is hitting the shores of our land only to leave in some place total disaster and other places only damage from the hard rain and wind that swept through. There are times in life a storm blows in and God gives peace. It hard understand God when we see the destructive nature of the force of storms. Yet we can not deny the power of God to give and grant peace in the storm, and even the middle of the storm. We know there is peace after the storm. Joseph was imprisoned and summoned by the King. He was dirty and needed a bath, a fresh clothes and a shave. Who knows what the prison conditions were but Joseph found himself busy in the jailhouse, until he was summoned. How many years had he been in his own storm of life with the sanctity of a loving God being with him. Maybe conditions not good but a place of learning submission to God and others as a servant, a jail bird and a child of God. No matter where Joseph found himself he obeyed God and even interpreted dreams while in jail by the power of God. One man who finally remembered he had interpreted a dream correctly told Pharaoh of the man in prison, and so Pharaoh sent for him. None of Pharaoh's magicians could interpret, and told Joseph he heard he interpreted a few dreams correctly. Joseph told the Pharaoh his God would give him an answer of peace. Joseph, believe in God enought to trust God to tell Pharaoh the dream was answer of peace. Joseph had not even heard the dream yet. Yet. God wanted peace with this Pharaoh who perhaps did not believe in him. I can not image for a moment that this message of peace would also speak of a terrible event in the world coming called famine. Abraham had gone to Egypt once when food was scarce, so this was not unusual event completely except maybe the length of the famine. Seven years without crops would starve a nation, as well as areas around. God did not send a vision to warn but to protect, because before the famine would come would be seven years of abundance of crops. God was not going to take their produce away but was going to provide for them. Where is a faith when God supplies and even helps you learn to perserve so the storm is not so rough. Better yet when you given the ability to interpret the dream by God and you interpret only to find yourself now on the royal throne sitting beside Pharoah in power. Even riding in the second best chariot in the land. Joseph found favor with Pharaoh. He had already favor with God. Joseph was even given a wife. One has to realize this dream meant peace to both Joseph and Pharaoh from God. God does not keep you in disaster not to lift you up. God does not wage war on you, individuals and nations wage war with God, whether with your speech, your sin lifestyle, or just plain disrespect for God. Pharaoh had respect for the messenger that was sent to Pharaoh. He obeyed and the nation flourished in the time of famine, because even surrounding areas were hit hard. Are you getting read for a storm, are you ready for it to come? Are you prepared? I find myself thinking on the hurricane, and the warning that comes from technology God has enabled man to develope and create. Yet with these warnings preparation must be made. When we hear God speak to our hearts we must take the warning seriously. God does not tell us something to harm us, he tells us prophesy, to enable us to help ourselves. God's warning whether by technology, by the Holy Spirit, or by means of foreknowledge of circumstances, that you should decide to do nothing, you will not be protected unless God's divine intervention. I beleive in God's intervention. Pharaoh and Joseph heeded the warnings of God. Joseph was given a rich man coat only to loose it to his brothers who sold him as a slave. He found himself betrayed not only by his brothers but all the man's wife he was sold too. And yet despite Joseph misfortune he still obeyed God. What is God going do in your life, to build you up and to allow you to fall, only to give you more blessings. Life is a journey, God does not want war, but he wants to build you up and not to tear you down. Egypt would be torn down 400 and some years later when several Pharaoh later would not let God's people go to worship Him. What do we see by a world of not understanding God's warnings and messages of peace. Jesus was bring destruction, God was sending peace. Now the Holy Spirit comes with destruction as well as peace. He desires to settle you and restore you. He desires good things for you, but choosing God can cause problems in the family. Sometimes even when all are Christians. God wants to separate his people to bring them back together. Example Joseph and his family . Both groups were believers. but separation taught Joseph humbleness so when he was given royal position and he had learned how to lead in prison.The storm is only a test of God to teach you and show you what you need for the next leg of your journey. God used Pharaoh to bring Joseph back to his family and to exile his family in Egypt. This was Joseph storm and blessings. Dear Heavenly Father you know the reason you allow all of us fall and rise at different time in our life. We know you are with us. In Jesus precious name, Amen. Continual Scripture Study for Devotion: 1 Peter 5:10 KJV But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. http://www.turtle30cshell.com