Monday, January 16, 2012

The Unexpected Benefits of Preparation

Scripture Passage that Caught my attention today: Genesis 41:25-36 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Pharaoh’s dreams are one and the same; God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years; the dreams are one. 27 The seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, as are the seven empty ears blighted by the east wind. They are seven years of famine. 28 It is as I told Pharaoh; God has shown to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 29 There will come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt. 30 After them there will arise seven years of famine, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt; the famine will consume the land. 31 The plenty will no longer be known in the land because of the famine that will follow, for it will be very grievous. 32 And the doubling of Pharaoh’s dream means that the thing is fixed by God, and God will shortly bring it about. 33 Now therefore let Pharaoh select a man who is discerning and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh proceed to appoint overseers over the land, and take one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven plenteous years. 35 Let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming, and lay up grain under the authority of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it. 36 That food shall be a reserve for the land against the seven years of famine that are to befall the land of Egypt, so that the land may not perish through the famine.”

Observation: Wisdom sometimes calls for action.

Application. Often times wisdom calls for patience—an ability to sit back a spell and let things play out. But there are other times when wisdom calls for a more assertive approach. Such was the case in the text above. Joseph advised essentially daily preparations for the years to come. And if one reads on in the passage (or already knows the story), one can see that the preparations really paid off.

One gift that we all share in common is daily opportunity. On a daily basis we all have opportunity to give thanks for what has been and to discern how we might best prepare for the day, week, month, years that—Lord willing—are ahead. The preparations may be personal or professional or both, but they are not just in the future; they are in the here and now.

And these preparations are not necessarily the responsibility of someone else. Often we are entrusted with the opportunity to take part in the preparations—at least if we want to be in a position to potentially, by the grace of God, be a blessing to others.

Of course the great irony in the Bible story above (as it eventually unfolds) is that Joseph’s preparations for survival and even economic gain totally paled in comparison with the blessing that eventually appeared before his very eyes—a reunion with his brothers and, most importantly, the opportunity to both see and bring joy to his Father’s face again.

Prayer: Lord, thanks for the opportunity to prepare not only for what we anticipate, but also, sometimes unwittingly, for the kind of blessings we may have never imagined—or like Joseph, had long since forgotten. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

(Readings today included: Genesis 39-41 and Luke 16)

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