I Cannot Do It

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

I CANNOT DO IT

Gen 41:14-24

14 So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the dungeon. When he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came before Pharaoh. 15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it." 16 "I cannot do it," Joseph replied to Pharaoh, "but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires." 17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile, 18 when out of the river there came up seven cows, fat and sleek, and they grazed among the reeds. 19 After them, seven other cows came up — scrawny and very ugly and lean. I had never seen such ugly cows in all the land of Egypt. 20 The lean, ugly cows ate up the seven fat cows that came up first. 21 But even after they ate them, no one could tell that they had done so; they looked just as ugly as before. Then I woke up. 22 "In my dreams I also saw seven heads of grain, full and good, growing on a single stalk. 23 After them, seven other heads sprouted — withered and thin and scorched by the east wind. 24 The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads. I told this to the magicians, but none could explain it to me."

NIV

With Joseph standing before Pharaoh, we can ponder two truths. First, before he stood before Pharaoh, he needed to shave, clean up, and change his clothes. We would, if we were going to be presented before the king of England or the president of the United States, most likely make sure we were presentable, making sure we were clean and dressed in good clothes. How do we think we should prepare ourselves before we present ourselves before the Lord God Almighty? It does not matter how clean we are on the outside, but it does matter how clean our inside is, or the condition of our hearts. Surely, we cannot stand before God because of our own cleanliness, but we have been washed in the blood of the Lamb, so we are whiter than new-driven snow. This brings us to the second truth, which works with the first truth.  When Pharaoh told Joseph that he had heard that he could interpret dreams, Joseph made a profound reply, "I cannot do it, but God will." This should be the basis of our lives. How many times do we think we can do this or that? How many times do we look to our own abilities, education, knowledge, skills, or strength? We should remember that Jesus said that apart from him we can do nothing. When we face areas of life that require something of us, should we not say, "I cannot do it, but God will," because we know he will give us the strength, the knowledge, and, better yet, the wisdom and ability to do it? Joseph knew God would reveal the truth so He would be glorified and His will accomplished in the lives of His people.  When we stand in prayer before our Lord, we know, without a shadow of doubt, that he can do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine. So we will always say, "I cannot do it, but God will."