The Mix
Genesis 41:15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.”
16 “I cannot do it,” Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.”
There is a misperception that is waiting for those that begin to know God and the wonder of His glory. When there is an experience with things of the Spirit, especially where gifts are involved, the demonstration of God’s power can appear to be coming from us as if it were somehow an ability of ours.
I think it’s incredible how Joseph, even after accurately interpreting dreams for his fellow prisoners, didn’t seem to even consider saying anything like, “Sure, I’ll take care of that for you. I personally know the God of the universe and he will let me know your exact answer. Him and I have had pretty good success with this type of thing so far.” When it came to credits, he didn’t want to be listed for anything at all. It was almost as if he was stepping out of the way and letting Pharaoh know that, while the answer would be spoken by his mouth, God himself would really be speaking directly to Pharaoh. Probably his earlier experience with his own dreams and his brothers gave him an intense understanding that God should bear all the responsibility for what might take place as a result of Joseph’s involvement in the dream thing. It wasn’t a guarantee for immediate glory, and since all the power was really coming from God anyway, he should really keep himself out of the mix.
There is no doubt that Joseph was gifted, very spiritually sensitive, and in direct contact with God Himself. He definitely would appear to have been empowered for greatness with his God relationship. The principle and most essential part of his spiritual strength, however, had nothing to do with what could be considered as exclusively his. He understood that he was totally and completely powerless to help anyone based upon his own gifts and abilities. If anything supernatural were to take place at all it would come to pass solely by the mercy and grace of God.
Because Joseph was able to understand and operate in complete humility before Pharaoh, he was given access to a much greater position through which further demonstrations of God would be seen. As long as he kept himself out of the mix, there was great power made available from God to do much more than Joseph ever could have dreamed up on his own. As long as he couldn’t do it, God would go directly to the issue with an answer of truth.
How many mouths were fed and lives saved, including his own family, as a result of Joseph’s simple correct placement of glory? As he had begun to know God’s supernatural power in His own life, what stood out most to him was not how great he had become as a result of this heavenly relationship, but how powerless he would always remain in himself, and yet enabled to bring a limitless God into our realm of impossibility. His only involvement would always be turning to an infinite God for the answer, for the insight, and for the supernatural power.
There is freedom from a great weight of responsibility and performance pressure today. With a simple, “I can’t, but He can”, a whole new realm of possibility will be open and accessible to us. Where He’s allowed to be responsible for the outcome, there is great hope and confidence that the God who can do all things will come down and have direct contact with any issue. With us alone there is an immediate impediment of human inability, but with God all things are possible, and He is faithful to do exceedingly and abundantly above what we could even ask or think, according to His power at work within us. (Ephesians 3:20) He will give the answer.
