Recently, I’ve been reading through the book of Genesis with my daughter, Hannah. I’ve been trying to read the book through my daughter’s eyes. Since she is eight (and a girl), it’s a bit of stretch for me. Recently, we read about Joseph, the son of Jacob, and learned some valuable lessons. One lesson in particular was the importance of saving. I often call the discipline of saving “The Joseph Principle.” If you don’t know the story of Joseph, I highly recommend you read it beginning in Genesis 37. After a series of bad events, Joseph was ultimately put in charge of Egypt.
The reason Pharaoh placed Joseph in charge of Egypt was because of the wisdom he displayed when Pharaoh needed to have his dreams interpreted. You see, as we see in Genesis 41:17-24, Pharaoh was having some odd dreams:
So Pharaoh told him the dream. "I was standing on the bank of the Nile River," he said. "Suddenly, seven fat, healthy-looking cows came up out of the river and began grazing along its bank. But then seven other cows came up from the river. They were very thin and gaunt-in fact, I've never seen such ugly animals in all the land of Egypt. These thin, ugly cows ate up the seven fat ones that had come out of the river first, but afterward they were still as ugly and gaunt as before! Then I woke up. A little later I had another dream. This time there were seven heads of grain on one stalk, and all seven heads were plump and full. Then out of the same stalk came seven withered heads, shriveled by the east wind. And the withered heads swallowed up the plump ones! I told these dreams to my magicians, but not one of them could tell me what they mean."
Pharaoh asked everyone but God to help him interpret the dreams. No one could help, until Joseph came as an agent for God and was able to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams. Joseph told Pharaoh the seven healthy cows (think angus beef) represented seven years of harvest. The seven gaunt cows (probably the kind of cows they use to make Steakums) represented seven years of famine.
This is a great reminder that economic cycles have been going on for thousands of years and are actually normal. Economies go up and they go down. We’ve seen this here in the United States. In the past 70 years, the US has had 12 recessions averaging about 10 months each. In the past 70 years, there have been 840 months. About 120 of those months were spent in recession. In the other 720 months, the economy grew.
So, Joseph knew Egypt was in the midst of an economic boom (part of the economic cycle). Joseph told Pharaoh that for the next seven years they should save one fifth (20%) of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. This way, when the famine came they would have enough food to survive the coming famine. The plan worked to perfection.
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AMEN. In reading this passage about that which Joseph went through, I am reminded of what we've gone through in the past. But God. He pulled us through so many situations and circumstances and blessed us despite our circumstances. God gives us the VISION and the PROVISION. We are to have faith, fear Him (God), and obey His every command. We must also SOW. Malachi 3:10-12 says, "10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the Lord Almighty.12 “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the Lord Almighty."
Pastor Prophet Marsha "FIRESTARTER" Jones 03/28/15
Thank God for teaching us to save our monies! He will whisper to you things like "You don't need that right now, Set that to the side..." He'll prep you for famine days to come and you won't even recognize RECESSION!
When we seek God and not people so much, he will give the plan of lasting, a plan that will hold up in all situations, problems, anything. God will show, give an ear to what the spirit is saying. Amen..Thank You Lord for teaching us to lean, trust in you.
Wow this made me think about the world today and my savings I'm going to put this into action in my own finances today great teaching thank you Apostle
Amen Pastor a Robin, we must make preparation and follow Gods instructions.
Pastor Robin Albright said:
Kind of like season during the summer months we are to work to make sure we have prepared the land for planting, in the fall we plant on the land, in the winter time we enjoy the harvest and when the spring time comes then we began to clear the land again for the cycle to began. When we follow the instructions of God we shall have no lack. There is a time to plant, a time to pluck up. What God has given us that we do not throw it away on useless things.
Kind of like season during the summer months we are to work to make sure we have prepared the land for planting, in the fall we plant on the land, in the winter time we enjoy the harvest and when the spring time comes then we began to clear the land again for the cycle to began. When we follow the instructions of God we shall have no lack. There is a time to plant, a time to pluck up. What God has given us that we do not throw it away on useless things.
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AMEN. In reading this passage about that which Joseph went through, I am reminded of what we've gone through in the past. But God. He pulled us through so many situations and circumstances and blessed us despite our circumstances. God gives us the VISION and the PROVISION. We are to have faith, fear Him (God), and obey His every command. We must also SOW. Malachi 3:10-12 says, "10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. 11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the Lord Almighty. 12 “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the Lord Almighty."
Pastor Prophet Marsha "FIRESTARTER" Jones 03/28/15
working and saving for possible difficult days ahead is definitely using wisdom...
amen my god i obtain it
Thank God for teaching us to save our monies! He will whisper to you things like "You don't need that right now, Set that to the side..." He'll prep you for famine days to come and you won't even recognize RECESSION!
When we seek God and not people so much, he will give the plan of lasting, a plan that will hold up in all situations, problems, anything. God will show, give an ear to what the spirit is saying. Amen..Thank You Lord for teaching us to lean, trust in you.
Amen Powerful.
We have to have money in the Kingdom of God.
Pastor Robin Albright said:
Kind of like season during the summer months we are to work to make sure we have prepared the land for planting, in the fall we plant on the land, in the winter time we enjoy the harvest and when the spring time comes then we began to clear the land again for the cycle to began. When we follow the instructions of God we shall have no lack. There is a time to plant, a time to pluck up. What God has given us that we do not throw it away on useless things.
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