From Dream to Destiny 5 - the Power Test

**Fenny West** Tue 04 Aug 2009, 9:22 pm

¹ When two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing by the Nile, ² when out of the river there came up seven cows, sleek and fat, and they grazed among the reeds. ³ After them, seven other cows, ugly and gaunt, came up out of the Nile and stood beside those on the riverbank. ⁴ And the cows that were ugly and gaunt ate up the seven sleek, fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.
⁵ He fell asleep again and had a second dream: Seven heads of grain, healthy and good, were growing on a single stalk. ⁶ After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted—thin and scorched by the east wind. ⁷ The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy, full heads. Then Pharaoh woke up; it had been a dream.
⁸ In the morning his mind was troubled, so he sent for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him.

³⁷ The plan seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his officials. ³⁸ So Pharaoh asked them, "Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God ^[b] ?"
³⁹ Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. ⁴⁰ You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you."
Joseph in Charge of Egypt

⁴¹ So Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt." ⁴² Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph's finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. ⁴³ He had him ride in a chariot as his second-in-command, ^[c] and men shouted before him, "Make way ^[d] !" Thus he put him in charge of the whole land of Egypt.
⁴⁴ Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I am Pharaoh, but without your word no one will lift hand or foot in all Egypt." ⁴⁵ Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah and gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife. And Joseph went throughout the land of Egypt.

We all have some level of authority, be it in the family, at school, at work, in church unless we are in the very last rung of the ladder. The question is: what are doing with your power? Are you lording it over others or using your opportunity to serve? What would you do if you were in Joseph’s position?

Power corrupt, absolute power corrupts absolutely, it is said. Prime Ministers have used their position to sack ministers who are at odds with them. Even the cleaning supervisor has sacked a cleaner for flimsy reasons just to get his/her own back. Some employee due promotion has been sidelined for disagreeing with the boss on matters not even job-related. That is human nature.

If you have not been tested in this area yet, wait for it, it will come.

The Test of Power

Rising from prisoner to PM, Joseph had an opportunity to settle old scores with Mr and Mrs Potiphar’s and those who connived with her and believed her in spite of his innocence.

And when his brothers who hated him for his dream, threw him into the pit and sold him into slavery and fabricated circumstantial evidence that looked so plausible, believable by his father wandered in famine into Egypt and into his presence, what an opportunity for revenge! But Joseph kept his head amidst pomp, popularity, power and position. He was humble, forgiving, forbearing, cool, calm, collected, considerate and exemplary.

He saw through the eyes of God why he was where he was. He saw destiny, divine direction, placement, strategy design to save many. He saw his position as a privilege to help, serve, save, show kindness, mercy, grace, divine plan and providence.

We are enjoined: be not overcome with evil but overcome evil with good. Forgive others even as your heavenly Father forgave you.
Listen to Joseph: "Come close to me." When they had done so, he said, "I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! ⁵ And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. ⁷ But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. ^[a]
⁸ "So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt. ⁹ Now hurry back to my father and say to him, 'This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; don't delay. ¹⁰ You shall live in the region of Goshen and be near me—you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have. ¹¹ I will provide for you there, because five years of famine are still to come. Otherwise you and your household and all who belong to you will become destitute.'

And when his brothers were afraid that after the death of their father, Joseph will take revenge for their jealousy, hard-heartedness, betrayal, treachery, greed, and misbehaviour, see how he reassures them:

¹⁵ When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, "What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?" ¹⁶ So they sent word to Joseph, saying, "Your father left these instructions before he died: ¹⁷ 'This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.' Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father." When their message came to him, Joseph wept.
¹⁸ His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. "We are your slaves," they said.
¹⁹ But Joseph said to them, "Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? ²⁰ You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. ²¹ So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children." And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.
Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
Col .3:13
³²Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.Ephesians4:32

Forgiveness is for our benefit.
Without forgiveness our faith is limited, hampered, ambushed and ineffective. Unless we forgive we are held prisoners in our own prison.

²³"I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. ²⁴Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. ²⁵And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."
Forgiveness liberates, is Godlike, it opens doors, switches on lights, weakens the enemy, lifts us to another plane and glorifies God.