I Cannot Do It…But God Can

A line from Genesis 41 really hit me last week and it has been on my mind. It is Genesis 41:15-16,

“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.'”

When Pharaoh tells you that you are to do something your first response is not supposed to be “I can’t do that!” it is supposed to be “Yes…it will be as you say.” But Joseph wasn’t under Pharaoh’s leadership and sovereignty. He was under God’s. That changed the way he understood the situation as it unfolded and put him in the proper position to allow God to use him.

I wonder how many times we fool ourselves into thinking we can do things that really can only be done because of the grace and empowerment of God. I wonder how many times I think I can teach this class or that, preach or lead something when I really should have the attitude of Joseph…these things can get done but not because I am able to do it myself…but God will make sure it happens. Going back to the previous post…if we want to be servants of God it takes dependence not independence. If we are going to be effective in ministry it is because God is behind it not because we are pushing it. If we want to be on the right track we have to pray for wisdom and discernment and not pick the route that seems best to us without praying to God for his leadership in the decision.