August 29, 2023

Genesis 41: 38 So Pharaoh asked them, “Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God?” (NIV)

The call of God is larger than sermons and shepherding.*

My friend’s son was given a special assignment while he was in the Army: he was a chauffer for dignitaries. He got the job because they wanted a clean-cut, non-smoking, non-drinking, drug-free, non-swearing, trustworthy, and mannerly soldier for the position. The competition was slim. The Army didn’t care that the young man was a Christian – only that he acted like one.

Pharaoh was looking for a good right-hand man for his kingdom. With a seven-year famine approaching, Joseph had proven himself valuable as an interpreter of dreams and an organizer of famine-relief – for which he gave God the glory. Pharaoh, who believed in lots of gods, did not mind admitting that the spirit of God got results. And no one in Egypt was as full of the spirit of God as Joseph. Clearly, Pharaoh, like the U. S. Army, saw that a man of God was the right man for the job.

At this point, we might assume that Pharaoh believed in God - but he didn’t worship him. I am not aware of any indication in Scripture or in history that Pharaoh ever acknowledged God as the only God. In this regard, we might think that Joseph failed as a witness for God – but that would be to misunderstand God’s purpose for Joseph. As a man of God, his life was a testimony, but his job was to serve God in a political and historical capacity, not a religious one.

What has God called you to do on behalf of his Kingdom? Do you ever think that you might not be fulfilling his purpose for your life just because your days are spent in secular pursuits? In the words of another writer:  “Joseph didn’t have to preach a sermon or lead a prayer for Pharaoh to see the Spirit of God upon him. He could see it in his character, in his message, in his knowledge, in his wisdom, and in his humility.”* 

You are a testimony when others can see the Spirit of God in you.

We have the idea that God is going to do some exceptional thing – that He is preparing and equipping us for some extraordinary work in the future. But as we grow in His grace we find that God is glorifying Himself here and now, at this very moment.*