Charles E. Cowman preaches about the warning from the dream in Genesis 41:4, 7, where the well-favored and fat cattle were consumed by the ill-favored and lean cattle, emphasizing how the best years, victories, and service in our lives can be swallowed up by times of failure and defeat. He highlights the importance of maintaining a fresh touch with God daily to prevent this tragedy, as past successes are not enough to sustain us and can be reversed by present failures. Only by abiding in Christ and seeking daily renewal can we keep negativity and spiritual decline from overtaking our lives.

"And the ill favored and lean-fleshed kine did eat up the seven well favored and fat kin…and the thin, ears swallowed up the seven rank and full ears" (Gen. 41:4, 7). There is a warning for us in that dream, just as it stands: It is possible for the best years of our life, the best experiences, the best victories won, the best service rendered, to be swallowed up by times of failure, defeat, dishonor, uselessness in the kingdom. Some men's lives of rare promise and rare achievement have ended so. It is awful to think of, but it is true. Yet it is never necessary. S. D. Gordon has said that the only assurance of safety against this tragedy is "fresh touch with God," daily, hourly. The blessed, fruitful, victorious experiences of yesterday are not only of no value to me today, but they will actually be eaten up or reversed by today's failures, unless they serve as incentives to still better, richer experiences today. "Fresh touch with God," by abiding in Christ, alone will keep the lean kine and the ill favored grain out of my life. --Messages for the Morning Watch