August 8, 2023

A Faith-Filled Outlook

Sometime later, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt offended their master, the king of Egypt. Pharaoh was angry with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, and put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the same prison where Joseph was confined. The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he attended them. After they had been in custody for some time, each of the two men—the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were being held in prison—had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own. When Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw that they were dejected. So, he asked Pharaoh’s officials who were in custody with him in his master’s house, “Why do you look so sad today?” “We both had dreams,” they answered, “but there is no one to interpret them.” Then Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.” Genesis 40:1-8

If anyone had reason to be discouraged, Joseph did. He not only endured his mother’s death and his brothers’ hatred but also faced slavery and imprisonment because of false allegations. Yet he was not an angry person.

Joseph kept his faith-filled outlook because he consistently relied upon God. When two royal servants were jailed, he acted with compassion and gave them aid. And notice how Joseph didn’t shrink back from speaking boldly about God to these men and to Pharaoh. When the Egyptian leader sought an answer, Joseph told him it would come from the Lord (Genesis 41:16).

Joseph’s story reminds us that in hard places, we too can experience our Father’s presence and thrive. You might be “held captive”—by unemployment, ill health, or a difficult relationship—but you can be hopeful because it is God who works in us. And His Holy Spirit will produce godly fruit in us when we depend upon Him (Galatians 5:22-23).

Joseph encountered much hardship in his life, but he saw that ultimately God always used it for good (Genesis 50:19-20). Thanks to the Holy Spirit, we can have a faith-filled perspective that enables us to glorify the Lord even in times of adversity.

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