Psalms 56, 57, 58, 64, 65 | Genesis 41:46-57 | 1 Corinthians 4:8-21 | Mark 3:7-19a
Today's Old Testament lesson is a portion of the story of Joseph, a devout young man to whom God had given the gift of interpreting dreams. He had been his father's favorite son, but his jealous brothers sold him to slave traders who, in turn, sold him into slavery in Egypt. There, he was thrown into prison for a crime he hadn't committed.
Joseph, however, never lost his faith in God. He believed that God was always with him; and his gift of dream interpretation, for which he gave God complete credit, allowed him to accurately interpret two dreams for Pharaoh, king of Egypt. His successful interpretation of these dreams, which predicted seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine in the land of Egypt, resulted in Joseph's elevation to a position of authority in Pharaoh's service. He was able to take steps which enabled the Egyptians to survive the seven years of famine when they might have otherwise perished.
Unlike Joseph, we may sometimes forget that God is always with us, through both our darkest days and our most promising.
Unlike Joseph, we may sometimes lose sight of the fact that all we possess; all we are; all our talents, skills and aptitudes are gifts to us from God. And they aren't gifts to be kept and hoarded, but to be given away. The very best way we can serve God is by using our gifts, as Joseph did, in the service of others.
What special, God-given gifts do you possess? And how are you utilizing them?
— Allen De Marks, Gary Kirkland
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