Watchman: Daily Devotional, You Must Hold Fast to God’s Promise and Vision. God’s Timing and Method for Their Realization Are Both Perfect. The Ways of God Are Very Different From the Ways of Man

Genesis 40:14 14 But when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison.

41:1 1 When two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing by the Nile, God told Joseph in dreams that his family will eventually submit to him as king. His brothers resented him because of his ambitions and his father's fondness.

Brothers, at the age of 17, sold their younger sibling to slave dealers. They made up a lie to tell their dad, claiming that an animal had taken his life. And in Egypt, Joseph rose through the ranks to become the first in charge of his master's household. He would not disobey God or his master by giving in to the wife's sexual desires. Because of her baseless accusations, he is now behind bars.

Over time, he worked his way up to become the prison's deputy warden. The butler and baker to Pharaoh were imprisoned there, and Joseph was tasked with deciphering their dreams. Because the butler's dream indicated his reinstatement, Joseph quoted the verse above. But when he was revived, the butler forgot all about his promise to report the now-28-year-old man to Pharaoh. He had served honorably as a slave and then in prison for many years. Never once have we seen a single complaint. At the moment when release from Joseph's confinement looked imminent, the butler forgot.

Just before dawn is when it's darkest outside. Even though I'm confident he never lost faith in his God-given goals, I can imagine there were dark days when it appeared all hope was lost. Anybody would lose hope after being a slave for 14 years. In spite of it, this was the royal academy established by God. His status in Egypt, the world's most powerful nation, changed dramatically from that of a prisoner's servant to that of the country's second-in-command overnight.

Stay committed to God's plan and His promises to you. In His own time and according to His own plan, He will make them happen. The things God does are totally counter to what humans would do.