This morning we continue our series, “Grace that is Simply Amazing” by continuing with our mini-series entitled, “Grace Based Success (Prosperity)”. Yesterday we saw how Joseph had the faith to attempt the impossible and his faith accessed God’s grace for the interpretation of two dreams. The problem was that the cupbearer forgot all about Joseph once he was restored back to his position with Pharaoh. This caused Joseph to wait longer for his big breakthrough and time was a factor because it had already been over 10 years since he was betrayed by his brothers and sold as a slave. So I am sure Joseph got his hopes up when the cupbearer went back to his royal position. I am sure Joseph expected to be called on at any moment, but it never happened. His glimmer of hope came and gone with the cupbearer. Men will fail you, but God never will.
Two years later Pharaoh had a dream. In the dream Pharaoh was standing by the Nile when out of the river came seven fat and healthy cows. The healthy cows grazed among the reeds. After them, seven ugly and skinny cows came up out of the Nile and stood beside those on the riverbank. All of a sudden the skinny cows ate the fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up. He fell asleep again and had a second dream. This time seven heads of good and healthy grain were growing on a single stalk. After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted, but these were thin and scorched by the east wind. Then all of a sudden the thin heads of grain swallowed up the healthy ones. Then Pharaoh woke up again.
In the morning Pharaoh’s 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. This is where the tide shifted for Joseph. The chief cupbearer finally remembered Joseph. He said to Pharaoh, “Now I remember what I was supposed to do. When you were angry with me and your chief baker, you threw us both in jail. One night we both had dreams, and each dream had a different meaning. A young Hebrew, who was a servant of the captain of the guard, was there with us at the time. When we told him our dreams, he explained what each of them meant, and everything happened just as he said it would. I got my job back, and the baker was put to death.” This was Joseph’s big break. Pharaoh sent for Joseph. He was quickly brought out of the dungeon, but not before Joseph shaved and changed his clothes. Joseph sensed that this was his big break, so he made himself presentable before coming into the presence of the king.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. Trust God’s timing. The right thing at the wrong time becomes the wrong thing. If the cupbearer would have mentioned Joseph to Pharaoh when Joseph asked him to, which was two years earlier, nothing would have happened because the timing was not right. Although I am sure Joseph did not like waiting two years, it was in God’s timing for him to wait. God’s timing will not always line up with your watch, but it is always right!
a. Divine success is connected to divine timing. You must be patient enough not to abort your blessing before its time.
b. God is not wedded to your timeline. Faith does not make God change. Faith is about dying to self and believing God that it’s already done — in God’s eyes, in heaven, in eternity — no matter how long it takes to manifest itself in the earth.
2. Face every opportunity prepared. Although the people coming to get Joseph were in a hurry, Joseph did not leave without first shaving his face and changing his clothes. He sensed that this was his opportunity for a breakthrough and he did not approach it unprepared. He had waited for over 10 years for this moment, so the people waiting on him could wait a few minutes for him to get ready. Joseph was a prisoner, but he did not need to look like it.
a. Never face a divine opportunity unprepared.
b. Your preparation will show up in your performance.
3. You are only one call away from your breakthrough. God can turn your situation around in a moment. Joseph walked into the room a prisoner and he walked out of the room as the Prime Minister of Egypt. There are no limits to what God can do. His blessings come by His grace, in His timing, for His glory.
a. Get your hopes up. Your situation is never too bleak, your opposition is never too strong, and your problem is never too big for God.
b. When God is ready to release His breakthrough, nothing can hold back the blessing!
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for teaching me about Your grace and my purpose. In order to fulfill my purpose, in order to succeed in life, in order to become the person I was born to be, I have to believe in Your grace and live by faith. My faith accesses Your grace to do what I could never do on my own. I know You have planned for me to do certain things and Your plans are connected to Your timing. There are several things about Your plans that You have revealed to me and I am excited about them. My faith says, “They are already done” in heaven, where You are, from the perspective of eternity. But for me, in the earth, it’s only a matter of time before they manifest. So I believe You. I keep my hopes up. I trust that You will bring to pass Your perfect will for my life in Your divine timing. And I will hold on until I see IN MY HANDS what I have already seen IN MY HEART. When that time comes, and I sense that my opportunity is before me, I will not face it unprepared. I will embrace Your grace, I will rest in the preparation You have given me, and I will face the opportunity with confidence in both my preparation and Your grace. The season I am in today is preparing me for the next, and that season will prepare me for the next, and so on. So I live every day with an expectation to move forward, to progress, to advance, to grow, to develop, and to experience Your best, because I know that my next breakthrough is only ONE CALL AWAY! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
