In this sermon, the preacher discusses how God uses both trivial and important circumstances to fulfill His purposes. He references the story of Joseph in Genesis 41, where Pharaoh has dreams that need interpretation. Joseph, who excelled in his work, is chosen by God to interpret the dreams and advise Pharaoh on how to prepare for seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. Joseph's wisdom and counsel are seen as divinely given, and he is honored by standing before kings. The sermon emphasizes the importance of trusting in God's plan, even when we cannot see the full picture.

Well, I think the boys and the girls would be disappointed if we didn't have another quiz today, wouldn't they? Well, let's see how we're going to do this. There are two sections here, so I'll call, well, no, anybody in either section. What Old Testament character are we studying about? Joseph will do. Who does Joseph remind us of? Again? Jesus, right. Who tried to tempt Joseph to sin? Not bad. Who tries to tempt us to sin? Right. In fleeing from temptation, what did Joseph leave behind? Coax. Yes. What did Joseph's masters do to him? Right. He went to jail. The Bible says that someone unseen was with Joseph in prison. Who was that? God'll do. Someone unseen, right? How did God honor Joseph when he was in jail? Oh, I got you. What? Well, he didn't fuss. That's very good. But how did God honor him when he was in jail? That's right. He became kind of the boss there in the jail. What two other prisoners were with Joseph? Yes, the cupbearer would be the same as the butler and the baker. Okay, here's the last one. The Bible says that Joseph did what for righteousness sake? This is a little tough. The Bible says that Joseph blank for righteousness sake. What's that blank? Adult. Anybody? He what for righteousness sake? Suffered. He suffered for righteousness sake. That's what it says. Okay, turn in your Bibles to Genesis chapter 40. Genesis chapter 40. The purpose of that quiz is to show that the boys and the girls listen even in an adult meeting, right? Okay. Genesis chapter 40 verse 1. Came to pass after these things that the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt offended their Lord, the king of Egypt, and Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief butler and the chief baker. So he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard in the prison, the place where Joseph was confined. And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them. So they were in custody for a while. Then the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison, dreamed a dream, both of them. Each man's dream in one night, and each man's dream with its own interpretation. And Joseph came in to them in the morning and looked at them and saw that they were sad. So he asked Pharaoh's officers, who were with him in the custody of his Lord's house, saying, Why do you look so sad today? They said to him, We each have dreamed a dream, and there's no interpreter. Joseph said to them, Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell them to be pleased. Then the chief butler told his dream to Joseph and said to him, Behold, in my dream a vine was before me, and in the vine were three branches. It was as though it budded. Its blossoms shot forth, and its clusters brought forth ripe grapes. Then Pharaoh's cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup and placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand. Joseph said to him, This is the interpretation of it, the three branches of three days. Now within three days, Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your place, and you will put Pharaoh's cup in his hand according to the former manner when you were his butler. But remember me when it is well with you. Please show kindness to me, make mention of me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this house. For indeed I was stolen away from the land of the Hebrews, and also I have done nothing here that they should put me into the dungeon. When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said to Joseph, I also was in my dream, and there I had three white baskets on my head. In the uppermost baskets there were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, and the birds ate them out of the basket on my head. So Joseph answered and said, This is the interpretation of it, the three baskets are three days. Within three days, Pharaoh will lift off your head from you and hang you on a tree. The birds will eat your flesh from you. Now it came to pass on the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, that he made a feast for all his servants. He lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants. Then he restored the chief butler to his butlership again, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand. But he hanged the chief baker as Joseph had interpreted to them. Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him. Well, we saw at the close of the last chapter that Joseph was there, placed in prison, suffering for righteousness' sake. And we mentioned last week from the book of 1 Peter that there's no glory to God in it if we suffer for our own mistakes. If we suffer for our own sins, God gets nothing out of that. But it's pleasing to him if he finds his people suffering for righteousness' sake. Even in life today, there are many, many situations that arise every week when you can fudge, when you can cheat, when you can do something deceitful. And when God looks down and sees one of his children acting in a righteous way and paying the price for it, that's very pleasing to him. And then I think we saw last week, too, that Joseph makes us think of Jesus because he was numbered with the transgressors. Joseph is there in prison with the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt. And it makes us think of the Lord Jesus, and it says that in Isaiah chapter 53, he was numbered with the transgressors. You remember when the Lord Jesus was hanging on the cross, there were two thieves hanging there with him. Some of the Bibles call them malefactors. A malefactor is one who does evil. That's what the word means. Evildoers. They were criminals, actually. And he was on the middle cross and one was on either side of him. I often think of that. It's amazing how close you can be to Christ and spend eternity in hell. Just think of that. At first, both of those malefactors railed on the Lord Jesus. They said, if you're the son of God, save yourself and us. But one of them had a change of heart and he said to the other one, he said, don't you fear God, seeing we're in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we received the due reward of our deeds. But this man has done nothing amiss. That was a real change of heart. You might call it a deathbed conversion, although in this case it was a death cross conversion, wasn't it? Can you live a wicked life and then be saved at the end like that? See, well, you certainly can. Because Jesus said to him, when he said to the Lord Jesus, Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom. Jesus says, you won't have to wait that long today. You'll be with me in paradise. He was saved. But the other man was physically just as close to Jesus as he was. Yet he was lost, wasn't he? Somebody has said that one was saved. That none may despair. The other was lost. That none may presume they were both equally close to the Lord, possibly be born and brought up in a Christian home and still be lost, isn't it? He's very close to the Lord and yet never having received him as personal savior. As we've seen, both of these men in jail with Joseph were guilty and so were the two with the Lord Jesus on the cross. And one of them recognized that. He said, we received the due reward of our deeds. That's repentance, isn't it? When we acknowledge before God that we are guilty, lost sinners and in danger of eternal death. And then we see in this chapter that we read how Joseph foretold their future. He said to the butler, less than three days and you'll be restored to your position again. Butler of the King. And he said to the baker, less than three days and your head's going to be lifted up, too. Literally, you're going to die. And of course, even there, I've said on the cross of Calvary, you hear the Lord Jesus predicting the future of that penitent thief. Today, thou shalt be with me in paradise, he said. But, you know, it's an interesting thing that the Lord Jesus, through the word of God, predicts all our futures, doesn't he? The future of everybody in the room this morning is predicted by Jesus Christ. Listen, he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life. He that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. Jesus said in John 5, 24, Verily I say unto you, he that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life. And shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life. But the same Lord Jesus who said that said, if you believe not that I am he, you shall die in your sins. And whither I go, you cannot come. A lot of people today are going to palm readers and astrologers to find out their future. And, of course, that ministry is straight from the pit of hell, isn't it? You don't go to people like that, you go to the word of God to find out your future. And it's delineated there in great detail, both for the saved and for the lost. But I'd like to think about Joseph there in prison for a little while. Dave said a little while ago he didn't fuss when he was there in prison. I think that's really worth noting. He never complained. There's not a word of complaint from Joseph in the adverse circumstances in which he found himself. I think that's remarkable. I mean, we started out the story of Joseph where he had these dreams where his brothers were going to bow down to him and his father and mother were going to bow down to him. What about those dreams now? He's in jail. And he could have thought, if God is God and if God is omnipotent, why am I in jail? He didn't say that. He was in jail. He accepted it as the will of God. And he didn't fuss. As David said, instead of drowning himself in self-pity, he was busy serving others. And, you know, Isaac, that's one of the most important keys of the Christian life. One of the secrets of a happy Christian life is keeping busy serving other people. We live in a very self-centered environment today. In fact, all modern psychology and all modern psychology and all psychotherapy is very self-centered. It gets people to think about themselves. And how they feel. And their motives and all the rest. Well, good thing that psychotherapy wasn't around when Joseph was on earth. It only started in the 1950s. Joseph didn't know anything. He just was there in prison and he spent his time. The happiest Christians I know are people who live for others. Don't think about their loneliness. Don't think about the adverse conditions in their life. They live for others. When I was a kid, Dr. Ironside used to come to our area and have meetings. And he had his own hymn book, believe it or not. And I remember one of the hymns that he used to have us sing. Live for others while on earth you dwell. Live for others the good news tells. Flowers do not waste their sweet perfume. Live for others while here you dwell. Things like that. Listen to what Paul says to the Ephesians. Servants be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh. With fear and trembling and sincerity of heart as to Christ. Not with eye service as men pleasers but as servants of Christ. Doing the will of God from the heart with good will. Doing services to the Lord and not to men. Knowing that whatever good anyone does. He will receive the same from the Lord. Whether he is a slave or free. Isn't it wonderful to think this morning that greatness in the kingdom of Christ. Is found in serving others. Jesus said the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto but to minister. And to give his life a ransom for many. Not the way it is in the world. The way it is in the kingdom of Christ. Greatness is found in serving others. We might well ask ourselves a question. Do people come to me when they need spiritual help? Good test isn't it? Do people come to me when they need spiritual help? Well here were two men in prison. And they needed help. They had these dreams and they needed somebody to interpret the dream. And they went to Joseph and Joseph was a good listener. It's better to be a good listener than a compulsive talker. If you're a good listener it's surprising how much you can learn. And it's surprising how much of a help you can be to others. You've heard of experiences like that where somebody comes and unloads his troubles on another person. The other person doesn't get a word in edgewise. The first man goes away and says, boy he was a great help to me. He didn't say a word. He just listened. There's something else too here. One of these men in prison was delivered and one perished. Just like the two who were hanging beside the Lord Jesus on the cross. One was saved and the other was lost. I think that's a solemn thing isn't it? To go into eternity. Imagine that man for all eternity in hell. Thinking of the chance he had right at the last minute of his life to be saved. And his criminal friend was saved. But he stubbornly hung on to his sins. Died as a result. In a very real way Joseph was a saver of life to one man. And a saver of death to the other. And those of us who are believers, that's true of us too. Turn to 2 Corinthians please, chapter 2 and verse 16. 2 Corinthians chapter 2 and verse 16. I think I'll go back to verse 14. Where Paul says, writing to the Corinthians, Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ. And through us diffuses the fragrance of his knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved. And among those who are perishing. All humanity is divided into those two classes. Those who are being saved. Those who are perishing. To the one where the aroma of death to death. And to the other the aroma of life to life. And who is sufficient for these things. Well Paul of course is describing a triumphal parade from the Roman world. Here is an emperor of Rome and he's been off on some foreign conquest. And he comes back to Rome and they're going to have this big victory parade in Rome. And all along the sides of the street there are incense bearers. There are men there holding great pots of incense. And the aroma of the incense just fills the air. I mean no matter where you are you can smell it. Now that aroma has two different meanings. It depends on whose side you're on. If you're on the winning side. If you're on the side of the emperor. It's an aroma of victory. But if you're one of those prisoners. One of the conquered. Marching along in the parade. In shackles as it were. Your hands shackled. It's the aroma of death. Because that's what's going to happen to you. To some the fragrance of life and victory. To the others it's a fragrance of death. And Paul says we who are believers. We're that to the people in the world. You go out on a college campus and you witness for Christ. Some people on the campus. You're the fragrance of life. They say that's what I need. I'm lost. Helpless. Hopeless. On the way to hell. I need salvation. Trust Christ as my Savior. Fragrance of life. Other people say eh. Not for me. Fragrance of death. And we don't like to think about that fragrance of death do we? We like to think about how many people we've been able to lead to the Lord Jesus Christ. But look. God gets glory out of it either way. Those people who reject the gospel. Are going to stand before God one day. And he's going to say did you hear the gospel down there in San Lorenzo? Did you hear the gospel? Did you have a bona fide opportunity to receive Christ as your Savior? And they'll have to say yes I did. Fragrance of death. And in either case God is glorified. His justice is vindicated in the second case. Whereas his grace is glorified in the first case. So you have that with Joseph. You have it with the Lord Jesus on the cross. You have it in your own life too. If you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul says that here in 2 Corinthians. Another resemblance here is Joseph said to that butler. When you get out of here. Remember me. When it goes well with you. Remember me. Genesis chapter 40 and verse 14. The first part of the verse it says. But remember me when it is well with you. And please show kindness to me. Make mention of me to Pharaoh. And get me out of this place. Well you know the Lord Jesus said that too didn't he? On the night in which he was betrayed. The Lord Jesus gathered with the eleven in an upper room. And there wasn't very much there. A table, bread and wine. And he instituted what we know as the Lord's supper. And he said this do in remembrance of me. As often as you eat this bread. Drink this cup. And show forth the Lord's death until he comes. I read within the last couple of weeks. A Christian writing in a magazine. And he said. We've got all eternity to worship the Lord. What we should be doing now is winning souls. What do you think about that? Don't you believe? Well all I know is that the Lord. The Lord's dying request. Was that we should gather together. And remember him. And the disciples did that. The early Christians did that. On the first day of the week they gathered together. And they took the bread and took the wine. In fond and loving remembrance of him. Who gave his life for them. Not too important in the Christian world today is it? Some churches have it once or twice a year. Some four times a year. Actually relatively speaking. The Lord Jesus gets relatively little worship. For all he did on the cross. When you think. That the only worship he gets. Is from the lips of redeemed people. And he doesn't get it from all of those either. It's poor recompense. For his work. On the cross of Calvary. Remember me. When it is well with you. You know. Seems to me that when it's well with us. That's when we're most apt to forget him. When things are going well with us. And we feel we're just on top of things. It's easy to forget the Lord. That's why the Lord allows difficult times to come into our lives. What David said. He said it's good for me that I've been afflicted. And many of us here today can say the same thing. It's good for me that I've been afflicted. Why? You feel closer to the Lord when you're afflicted. You're more dependent upon him. And your thoughts are more directed heavenward. At a time. Like that. Now if you turn to the book of Psalms. You'll find something about David. That you don't find. That you don't find in the book of Genesis. And we're going to do that. I'd like you to turn to Psalm 105 verse 18. Psalm 105 and verse 18. Another way in which Joseph makes us think of Jesus. I should begin back in verse 16. It says in verse 16. Moreover he called for a famine in the land. He destroyed all the provision of bread. He sent a man before them. This is verse 17 of Psalm 105. He sent a man before them. Joseph who was sold as a slave. They hurt his feet with fetters. He was laid in iron. Till the time that his word came to pass. The word of the Lord tested him. The king sent and released him. The ruler of the people let him go free. He made him lord of his house. And ruler of all his possessions. To bind his princes at his pleasure. And teach his elders wisdom. Now turn to Psalm 22 and verse 16. And Psalm 22 of course is a psalm of the Messiah. A psalm about the Lord Jesus. And it's a vivid portrayal of his death on the cross. Psalm 22 verse 16. For dogs have surrounded me. The assembly of the wicked has enclosed me. They pierced my hands and my feet. And just as Joseph was laid in iron. So the blessed Lord Jesus Christ was nailed to a cross of wood. His hands and his feet. They pierced my hands and my feet. Although you can't always trace God's hand. You can always trust his heart. Now actually it seemed very dark for Joseph there in prison. And it really looks as if Potiphar's wife had gained a great victory. And what do we say about that baker? Or about the butler? And Joseph said to him. When as well with you remember me and two years went by. Joseph languished in prison for two years. I kid you not. It says that in the first verse of the next chapter. Did you notice that? After two years. It came to pass at the end of two full years. Now you think. Is God still on the throne? Is he still on the throne? He used Potiphar's wife. To get Joseph into prison. And he used the butler to keep him in prison for two years. You say why would God do that? Come to the next chapter you'll find out why. You'll find out why. God hadn't made his first mistake. And you know you and I might be going through difficult times. If we're believers and we're living close to the Lord. Things may seem to be against us. The waves may seem to be defeated. But the tide is sure to win. And you see that in the life of Joseph. The waves all seem to be against him. The tide wins. For all of that. And I've never known that to fail. In the Christian life. You see the problem is we can't see. The way God sees. We can just see today. But God sees the whole parade. He sees the whole unfolding of the drama. And he knows what he's doing. And if you were in control. And if you had God's wisdom, love and power. You'd plan it just exactly the same way. Oh no I wouldn't. Oh yes you would. God nothing does. Nor suffers to be done. But what you would yourself. Would you but see the end of all he does. As well as he does. Don't judge the Lord by human sense. The clouds you so much dread are big with mercy. And shall break in blessing on your head. God moves in mysterious ways his wonders to perform. He plants his footsteps in the sea. And rides on the storm. And so Joseph spends two more years in prison. What a waste. Think what that man could be doing. And you could say the same of the Apostle Paul. The Apostle Paul. In his imprisonment you say. Did God know what he was doing when he allowed Paul that valiant apostle to be. Of course he did. That's where the prison epistles came from. Part of our Bible today. That's where Ephesians came from. Philippians, Colossians and Philemon. Those things were written in prison. What about John Bunyan? You know one of the books in the English language that is sold closest to the Bible is Pilgrim's Progress. Where was it written? In prison. By the way no waste at all. God knows how to give a man seclusion. So he can get a work accomplished for him. And that's what happens here. CHM says the most trivial and the most important, the most likely and the most unlikely circumstances are made to minister to the development of God's purposes. We see through a glass darkly. But someday he'll make it plain. He said that to Peter, didn't he? He said, what I do, you don't know now. You'll know hereafter. And I think that'll be one of the thrilling things of heaven. For God to unroll the canvas and explain the reason why the dark threads were as needful in the weaver's skillful hands as the threads of gold and silver in the pattern he had planned. That's what he's doing. Well, we move on to chapter 41. And here you see Pharaoh now has some dreams. And he needs an interpreter. Let me just read some of this. Genesis 41 verse 1. It came to pass at the end of two full years that Pharaoh had a dream and behold he stood by the river. Suddenly there came up out of the river seven cows, fine looking and fat, and they fed in the meadows. Then behold, seven other cows came up after them out of the river, ugly and gaunt, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the river. And the ugly and gaunt cows ate up the seven fine looking and fat cows. So Pharaoh awoke. I have to smile when I read that because that's sometimes when I awake from my dreams, too, when the things are worse. He slept and dreamed a second time and suddenly seven heads of grain came up on one stock, plump and good. Behold, seven thin heads blighted by the east wind sprang up after them and the seven thin heads devoured the seven plump and full heads. So Pharaoh awoke and indeed it was a dream. It came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them for Pharaoh. Listen, then the chief butler spoke to Pharaoh saying, I remember my fault this day. This is terrific. When Pharaoh was angry with his servants and put me in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, both me and the chief baker, we each dreamed a dream and he goes on and tells about it. Ah, the parts of the puzzle are beginning to come together, aren't they? That was why Joseph was in prison. That's why the butler was in prison and Joseph interpreted the butler's dream and the butler got out and now the butler's standing before Pharaoh and Pharaoh has a dream and the butler can say, ah, I remember my fault. I know someone who can interpret the dream for you. In the purposes of God, it was very important for Joseph to spend that time in prison, wasn't it? How would he have ever come to the attention of the Pharaoh as an interpreter of dreams if chapter 40 hadn't occurred? The answer is no. Maybe God wasn't mistaken after all. No, maybe he wasn't. Maybe he knew what he was doing. So here you have Joseph emerging as a wonderful counselor. Counselor. Hmm. Just an obscure Jewish lad with a prison record and he emerges here before Joseph before Pharaoh to interpret his dream. It says that about the Lord Jesus. His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor. Some Bibles have a comma between the two words. Some Bibles don't. Some Bibles say his name shall be Wonderful Counselor. The Lord Jesus is a Wonderful Counselor. Isn't he? And so Joseph comes upon the scene. He's brought before Pharaoh and he says, this is the interpreter. Incidentally, all the wise men of Egypt couldn't interpret the dream. You know, the world is not too smart. Really not too smart. I could give you many ways in which the world isn't too smart. They outlaw toy guns in San Francisco. Right? They don't outlaw real guns. Toy guns don't kill anyone. They outlaw them. The world's really not very smart. Many, many other ways do very dumb things. Remember that murder of the mayor and the supervisor over in San Francisco? And the defense for the murderer was that he had diminished capacity because he'd eaten too many Twinkies. The world's not too smart. I mean, it went. It took in a court of law. Yeah. The world's not too smart. All the magicians of Egypt couldn't interpret. Joseph said, this is interesting. First of all, he was very modest in doing it. His interpretations belonged to God. But what it means is that there are going to be seven years of plenty and seven years of famine. And he went on to advise the pharaoh the best thing to do was set up ever-normal granaries. During the seven years of plenty lay aside grain so that during those seven years of famine there'll be plenty for the people to eat. Sounds very simple to us. But it was divinely given wisdom. Joseph, a wonderful counselor. Do you see? It says in Proverbs 22, 29, Do you see a man who excels in his work? He shall stand before kings. He shall not stand before base men. I like that. Proverbs. Do you see a man who excels in his work? He'll stand before kings. He'll not stand before unknown men. The New King James says. Joseph was that. A man who excelled in his work. We've said before cream rises to the surface. God honors those who honor him. And so he told Pharaoh to lay by and store for the future. And Pharaoh says, Wow. Here is a man in whom is the spirit of God. I want to tell you something, friend. When you're living a life for Christ and you're filled with the spirit of God, the world can tell it. They can tell it. It doesn't mean they'll love you. They'll never forget you. But something tremendously attractive about a person whose spirit is filled and when he touches other lives something happens for God that's true. And here's a pagan king saying, this man has the spirit of God. What does he know about the spirit of God? He must have known something about it. And so the king sent him over all the realm. It's terrific, isn't it? The guy's just freshly sprung from prison. And now he's sent over. And if you had said to Joseph, do you have any regrets for what's past? God was with me in it all. God was with me in the prison. I'd rather be in the prison with God than be out of the prison without God. This is what Joseph would have said. Joseph recognized the presence of God in all that was happening in his life. He could tell that God was working all things together for good to him. And now he's honored. Dear friends, in the Christian life, the way up is down. You say, what a paradox that is. That's all right. It's a true paradox. In the Christian life, the way up is down. First of all, God emptied Joseph. And then he raised him up just as he did with the Lord Jesus, who laid aside the glory of heaven and came down to this earth as a man that is slave and became obedient at the death, even the death of the cross, wherefore God has highly exalted him and given him a name that's above every name, that is the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is God to the glory of God the Father. And Pharaoh gave Joseph the keys to all the treasure houses of Egypt. That's wonderful, isn't it? Yep. If you're wanting anything, go to Joseph. And of course, the Lord Jesus has the keys to all the treasure houses of wisdom. It says that in Colossians, in him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Dear friends, if you want wisdom, if you want just information, go to Colossians. If you want wisdom, go to Jesus. Right? That's the difference. In him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. All the treasures were his. F. B. Meyer said this, and I think this is nice. All of this happened because one day for the sake of God Joseph resisted the temptation to one act of sin. If he had yielded, we should probably never have heard of him again. He would have been slain by the siren who has slain so many more strong men. Let us seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. He will turn again and have mercy on us and will exalt us to inherit the earth. All that happened to Joseph, and now he's given the second highest place in Egypt. It all happened because one day he resisted the temptation to sin. Speaks loudly to us, doesn't it? Well, we'll go on next week and find out some of the other wonderful things that happened to Joseph as a result of this, of the wonderful outworking God in his life. It's wonderful to know God working in your life, isn't it? If you're unsaved, it's a wonderful thing to know the Spirit of God pricking your conscience and knowing your heart beating just a little faster. The Spirit of God saying to you, you really should be saved. Why don't you trust the Savior? It's a wonderful thing if you're a Christian to know God working in your life, to see the gears meshing, hmm? To see God answering prayer. To see things happen that just don't happen by chance. A wonderful thing. Don't ever lose that sense of contact with the Lord. Shall we pray? After we pray, Don's gonna lead us in a closing hymn. Father, how we rejoice to read about this dear man, Joseph. Have our thoughts turned heavenward to the Lord, Jesus Christ, the true anti-type. We pray that in all the changing circumstances of life that we may just pause and in faith look up and see that you are still on the throne and that you do remember your own. That your promise is true. He will not forsake, you will not forsake us. You are still on the throne. We pray for any who are here today who are not decided Christians, who have not just stepped over the line and said, Christ for me. Those who cannot really know the joy of walking with a risen exalted Savior, pray that before the day is over, any such might bow the knee and say, Christ for me. We ask it in his worthy name and for his sake. Amen.