Joseph was taken to Egypt and sold to a man named Potiphar. Joseph
worked hard, and soon Potiphar put him in charge of his entire
household. But Potiphar's wife was not a good woman, and one day
she accused Joseph of betraying her husband. Although her words
were false, Joseph was put in prison. But even in prison, he
obeyed God. Joseph liked helping people. Soon he was released to
help Pharaoh, the leader of all of Egypt.
"Joseph, I've heard you are able to explain dreams," said Pharaoh.
"Only with God's help," replied Joseph.
God showed Joseph what Pharaoh's dreams meant. Joseph said, "God
is warning you. After seven years with plenty of food, the rains
will stop. Nothing will grow for the next seven years. But if you
plan, you can save your people from starving. You must store food
during the good years. Then you can feed your people during the
bad years."
"You are a wise man, Joseph," said Pharaoh. "You shall be in
charge of all this." Joseph worked hard to carry out the plans
that God showed him. He made sure that huge amounts of grain were
stored. And when the bad years came, Egypt had plenty of food to
feed its people.
From Prison to Palace
In explaining the king's dreams, Joseph gave the king the good news and the bad news. Joseph didn't simply tell the king the meaning of his dreams, though. He gave the kng good advice and a plan.
Many people are able to see the problems, but do not offer the workable solutions. Joseph showed that he trusted Gd to do what he had promised him. The king recognized that God was giving Joseph wisdom, so he made Joseph the second most powerful person in Egypt.
Joseph's promotion came suddenly, and possibly when he least expected it. It is easy for us to think of Joseph as an "overnight success." We tend to forget, however, that God was training Joseph through thirteen years of hardship.
When the time came for Joseph to move to the top, he was prepared. He had learned how to trust God through good times and bad, He had also learned how to be sensitive to the needs of others.
