This morning we continue our series, “Grace that is Simply Amazing” by continuing with our mini-series entitled, “Grace Based Success (Prosperity)”. We will pick up the story of Joseph where we left off last week. Joseph had crossed ‘the faith line’ and boldly declared that God would provide him the interpretation of Pharaoh’s dreams. Pharaoh then told Joseph the dreams. One dream was about skinny and fat cows, the other was about healthy and thin stalks of grain. Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I told my dreams to my magicians and wise men, but none of them could tell me the meaning of the dreams.”
This was Joseph’s big chance. Between his time as a slave and a prisoner, Joseph had waited 13 years for this opportunity. He was 17 years old when his brothers betrayed him and he was 30 as he stood before Pharaoh. The problem is that what Pharaoh was asking for was impossible. No human could properly interpret the dream without supernatural intervention. No amount of schooling can prepare you to do something that is beyond human ability. But Joseph’s confidence was not in himself, his education (or lack thereof), or his power. Joseph was fully confident and his confidence was in God.
Without skipping a beat Joseph provided the interpretation to Pharaoh, by God’s grace. Or said another way, God provided the interpretation to Pharaoh, through Joseph. Joseph said, “Both of these dreams have the same meaning. God is telling you what will happen soon. The seven good cows and the seven good heads of grain are seven good years. And the seven thin, sick-looking cows and the seven thin heads of grain mean that there will be seven years of hunger in this area. These seven bad years will come after the seven good years. God has shown you what will happen soon. He will make these things happen just as I told you. For seven years there will be plenty of food in Egypt. But then there will be seven years of hunger. The people will forget how much food there had been in Egypt before. This famine will ruin the country. It will be so bad that people will forget what it was like to have plenty of food. Pharaoh, you had two dreams about the same thing. That means God wanted to show you that he really will make this happen, and he will make it happen soon! So, Pharaoh, you should choose a wise, intelligent man and put him in charge of Egypt.” (see Genesis 41:17-33).
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. God can anoint you for whatever the need is.
a) When Joseph arrived at Potiphar’s house there was a need for proper administration. God anointed Joseph, a 17 yr. old slave at the time, to administrate and he did it with excellence. God’s grace was on Joseph to operate so well that he was promoted to run Potiphar’s entire operation.
b) In the prison there was a need for an administrator on another level. This time the administration would require running a royal facility. God anointed Joseph to fill this role and to do with with an excellent spirit. Joseph wound up running the entire prison.
c) While in the prison another need arose. This time the need was supernatural: someone to interpret the dreams of the cupbearer and baker. Although he had never interpreted dreams before, God anointed Joseph to interpret the dreams with divine accuracy.
d) Finally, Pharaoh also had a need for an interpreter of dreams. This was another situation where Joseph was being asked to do something beyond his ability. Joseph’s confidence was in his God. God anointed Joseph to interpret the dreams with confidence. If Joseph was wrong, he would be killed. But if he was right, he could get promoted and released from prison. Joseph made the most of his divine opportunity by simply dying to self and relying on God to do, through him, what he could not do in-the-natural.
e) No matter what the need is on your job, in your home, with your family, it does not matter. Even if you have never done it before and you are venturing into new territory, simply trust God. God can anoint you to meet the needs of any situation. Not because you are so good, but because He is – by His grace and for His glory.
f) The anointing is the manifestation of God’s power/ability through a human. There are things that humans cannot do. We are limited, but God is limitless. God can anoint humans to do things that are beyond human ability. He does this to help us fulfill our divine purpose and so that He can be glorified in the earth.
2. God expects you to operate with fearless confidence because of His grace.
a) Joseph (the prisoner) stood before Pharaoh (the king), but Joseph did not sound like a prisoner when he spoke. He spoke with the conviction that comes from having a relationship with God. Guess what? God expects you to speak with similar conviction today.
b) I am witness of the type of confidence you can have when you know God is with you. I routinely interface with the U.S. Army’s most senior officials and when I do I am never intimidated. Why? Because I know who I am in Christ. My relationship with God equips, enables and empowers me to be employed in the earth for God’s glory. Since I know God is with me I can be bold and confident, while being tactful and respectful at the same time. God can do the same with you.
c) No matter who you are standing before, no matter their rank or position, if they don’t know Jesus you would have to take a demotion to be them!
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for teaching me about Your grace and my requirement to live by faith. The more I study Your grace, more confidence I have in You. When faced with a situation I know I cannot handle with my own strength or power, I remind myself that You will never allow me to face something I cannot handle. So if I am facing it, then You have given me the grace for it. If it is something that is beyond my ability, I simply rely on You. You CAN and DO equip, enable, empower and employ me to work down here, in the earth, for Your glory. I operate with an spirit of excellence daily, because I know I represent You. I work hard by Your grace. I do things right, because they are right and I then do them right. I enter every day knowing that I am a walking/talking billboard for You. And since I know You are always with me, I am never intimidated. Your gift on my life brings be before great men and when it does, I don’t cower and buckle under the pressure. I am an ambassador of the Kingdom of God and I thrive every day. I am covered by the Blood of Jesus, anointed by the Holy Spirit to meet the needs of every situation, and called according to God’s purpose for my life. Knowing that, I enter this day and every day with fearless confidence. Not because I am so good, but because my God is so good! I am anointed to succeed! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
