In Matthew 16:1-3 we read:
One day the Pharisees and Sadducees came to test Jesus' claims by asking him to show them a miraculous sign from heaven. He replied, "You know the saying, 'Red sky at night means fair weather tomorrow, red sky in the morning means foul weather all day.' You are good at reading the weather signs in the sky, but you can't read the obvious signs of the times!
NLT
I would not be surprised if the Lord were to show up tomorrow and tell most of us, believers and non-believers alike, the exact same thing.
Change
We are in the midst of a global upheaval. Everything seems to be changing faster than our minds and wisdom can keep up. The world seems to be finding a "new" unsolvable problem every week. Are we on the brink of planetary self-destruction? Is World War III on our doorstep? Are we in the End Times? I have to admit, when it comes to these questions, I am as clueless as anyone else. One thing seems to be clear. Only the "good guys" appear to be without vision. It looks like the bad actors of the world know exactly what they want and how they intend to make it happen. The leaders in the free, democratic world appear to be lost in a cloud of unknowing.
While all of this is happening it is easy to get caught up in the panic of it all. It is easy to turn to worldly philosophies and tactics to protect our family and what is ours. Whether what we believe is ours and what we are trying to protect is property or more ethereal concepts such as "rights" doesn't much matter. As believers, we are required to go about it according to the principles the Lord lays out in His Word. No matter how good the outcome we pursue it will be less than worthless if we go about achieving it in the wrong way.
The Joseph Principle
This brings me to the Joseph Principle. Joseph's story in the Bible kicks into high gear in Genesis chapter 37 when he begins to have prophetic dreams. The Joseph Principle begins in Genesis 41. Pharaoh has a couple of nightmares. He knew they were important, but could not figure out why or what, if anything, they meant. Pharaoh's wine aficionado tells him about Joseph's gift for interpreting dreams. Pharaoh sends for Joseph. God gives Joseph the interpretation and and word of wisdom for the solution. Pharaoh appoints Joseph over the national project that is the result of this encounter.
This is the Joseph Principle.
God revealed a coming catastrophe for Egypt and the surrounding regions. He also gave Joseph and Pharaoh the solution to save thousands if not more than a million lives. Joseph was given the authority to implement the plan. He gathered the resources, put the delivery systems in place and when the cataclysm hit, he launched the solution into the marketplace.
We say we serve the same God as Joseph. Do we believe it? Pharaoh had an encounter with God. Joseph relied on the Holy Spirit to interpret the encounter and give a solution. The solution was practical. It did not rely on the miraculous, but on the pragmatic. Today we might call it 'saving for a rainy day." In this case it was "saving for no rainy days," but I am sure you get it.
We can read the signs of the times we are in. We know trouble is not around the corner. Trouble is here. Very bad things are around the corner. If we believe this, than isn't it time we add to our prayers for mercy, a few prayers for solutions to the coming problems?
"But you, dear friends, must continue to build your lives on the foundation of your holy faith. And continue to pray as you are directed by the Holy Spirit. Live in such a way that God's love can bless you as you wait for the eternal life that our Lord Jesus Christ in his mercy is going to give you. Show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. There are still others to whom you need to show mercy, but be careful that you aren't contaminated by their sins."
Jude 20 - 23 NLT
