Following God’s will after it has been revealed is only part of the journey. The other part is dedication to that particular will or calling that God has revealed to you. Often times, dedication is where we struggle the most though. For Joseph, the will of God in his life had been revealed to him many years ago in his youth through a dream. Genesis 37:5-7 says, “Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. He said to them, ‘Listen to this dream I had: We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.’” At the time that this was revealed to Joseph, he likely would have never anticipated the trials and struggles that he would endure before this dream became a reality in his life.
Even after being sold into slavery by his brothers and being imprisoned for a false accusation, Joseph is dedicated to the revelation of God’s will that has been given to him. After God uses him to decipher Pharoah’s dream about the upcoming famine that will strike Egypt, Joseph is put in a position of power, but he does not relent on his dedication and take it easy. Genesis 41:47-49 tells us, “During the seven years of abundance the land produced plentifully. Joseph collected all the food produced in those seven years of abundance in Egypt and stored it in the cities. In each city he put the food grown in the fields surrounding it. Joseph stored up huge quantities of grain, like the sand of the sea; it was so much that he stopped keeping records because it was beyond measure.” Joseph was diligent to address the challenges that Egypt was facing and also was honest about the upcoming challenges so everyone could be adequately prepared, which ended up saving countless lives from starvation. Dedication requires a level of diligence that is demanding - where you look around and you are honest about the reality and the challenges you are facing.
Reflection/Discussion Question: How have you shown dedication to God's will that has been revealed to you?
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