Genesis 40: A Purpose in Our Pain

“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 40:8

Joseph, the young man sold into slavery by his brothers due in part to his dreams, was now in prison listening to the dreams of others. God gave Joseph the ability to interpret the dreams of these two men and they both came true. One man’s life quickly ended; the other man’s job was soon restored.

Upon first reading this story, you feel sorry for Joseph because he seems to be forgotten–by his family, his employer, and now his fellow prisoners. But God wasn’t done yet.

The dream he interpreted would be his open door to stand before his nation’s leader in the days ahead. God used Joseph’s lowest time to prepare him as an “overnight success” when he would become the second greatest leader in his land.

If God did this with Joseph, do you think he might do the same in our lives at times today? I have no doubt God allows trouble and suffering in our lives for a purpose. This should encourage us during our difficult moments. Rather than giving up, we carry on, knowing God is not done with us yet. The God who took Joseph from prison to a national leader can likewise take us from our point of struggle to much better times. Even if our outcome is not “successful” in human terms in this life, we know that our eternal glory will far outweigh any challenge we face today.

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Dillon Burroughs is the author and coauthor of numerous books and is handwriting a copy of all 31,173 verses of the Bible at HolyWritProject.com. Find out more about Dillon at Facebook.com/readdB or readdB.com.