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What About Me?
Scripture Reading — Genesis 40:1-23
The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.
— Genesis 40:23
Joseph’s experience in Egypt took many twists and turns. One moment he was trusted by Potiphar, one of the king’s officials, and the next moment he was imprisoned because of false accusations from Potiphar’s wife (Genesis 39).
In prison Joseph found favor with the warden. But would there ever be a way out?
One day Joseph met the king’s cupbearer and baker, who were sent to prison for making the king angry, and one night both of those men had strange dreams. The next day, the cupbearer and the baker were confused and burdened by their dreams, and Joseph asked why they looked so sad. When they shared their dreams with him, Joseph was able to help, explaining that “interpretations belong to God.” Joseph the dreamer was now wiser, recognizing that God was always helping him (Genesis 39:23).
Both good news and bad news were in those dreams. Soon the cupbearer was restored to Pharaoh’s court, just as Joseph had said in his interpretation, and Joseph likely wondered what would happen next. But the cupbearer forgot about Joseph— for quite a while.
In that prison, however, God was still watching over Joseph and providing for him. As we often find in our own and others’ lives, there is always more to the story that God is working out.
Dear God, thank you for working in our lives even when we face struggles and it’s hard for us to see or understand what you are doing. Help us to know that even in our times of waiting you are still at work. Amen.
About the author — Jul Medenblik
Rev. Jul Medenblik is a former attorney who was called to pastoral ministry and became the church-planting pastor of a congregation in New Lenox, Illinois. Since 2011 he has served as the seventh president of Calvin Theological Seminary, which, together with Calvin University, is celebrating 150 years of God’s faithfulness in their history as the educational institutions of the Christian Reformed Church in North America (see calvinseminary.edu/150th). Jul and his wife, Jackie, have been married for over 40 years and are blessed with two adult children and a son-in-law.
Scripture Reading — Genesis 40:1-23
The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.
— Genesis 40:23
Joseph’s experience in Egypt took many twists and turns. One moment he was trusted by Potiphar, one of the king’s officials, and the next moment he was imprisoned because of false accusations from Potiphar’s wife (Genesis 39).
In prison Joseph found favor with the warden. But would there ever be a way out?
One day Joseph met the king’s cupbearer and baker, who were sent to prison for making the king angry, and one night both of those men had strange dreams. The next day, the cupbearer and the baker were confused and burdened by their dreams, and Joseph asked why they looked so sad. When they shared their dreams with him, Joseph was able to help, explaining that “interpretations belong to God.” Joseph the dreamer was now wiser, recognizing that God was always helping him (Genesis 39:23).
Both good news and bad news were in those dreams. Soon the cupbearer was restored to Pharaoh’s court, just as Joseph had said in his interpretation, and Joseph likely wondered what would happen next. But the cupbearer forgot about Joseph— for quite a while.
In that prison, however, God was still watching over Joseph and providing for him. As we often find in our own and others’ lives, there is always more to the story that God is working out.
Dear God, thank you for working in our lives even when we face struggles and it’s hard for us to see or understand what you are doing. Help us to know that even in our times of waiting you are still at work. Amen.
About the author — Jul Medenblik
Rev. Jul Medenblik is a former attorney who was called to pastoral ministry and became the church-planting pastor of a congregation in New Lenox, Illinois. Since 2011 he has served as the seventh president of Calvin Theological Seminary, which, together with Calvin University, is celebrating 150 years of God’s faithfulness in their history as the educational institutions of the Christian Reformed Church in North America (see calvinseminary.edu/150th). Jul and his wife, Jackie, have been married for over 40 years and are blessed with two adult children and a son-in-law.
