The Daily Fountain Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 30 August 2024 — Principles Of Proper Human Relationship
TOPIC: Principles Of Proper Human Relationship
READ: Genesis 40:1-23 (NKJV)
- It 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, had 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?”
- And they said to him, “We each have had a dream, and [there is] no interpreter of it.” So Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell [them] to me, please.”
- 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.”
- And Joseph said to him, “This [is] the interpretation of it: The three branches [are] 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, and 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 [were] three white baskets on my head.
- “In the uppermost basket [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; and 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; and 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.
THE MESSAGE:
Close to the time Joseph was to be delivered and exaulted in Egypt, God raised another friend for him in the prison. Yet, for this to happen, three basic principles in our text that will enable us to develop a proper not appear so at our first contact with them (verse 6). (b) Being deliberate in building strong relationships with them (verse 6). (c) Seeing to what you can give to enrich such relationships and not what you can get from it (verses 7-13). Joseph interpreted the dreams of Pharoah’s butler and baker before they left the prison. It was fulfilled exactly, but the butler forgot about Joseph.
Many Christians have missed the human ladders they needed to climb to the top, because of poor human relationships. What’s your relationship with the people God brings your way? Are you in a good relationship with your husband, wife, children, parents, neighbours and Church members? Build and maintain a very good relationship for your good. Forgive those who have wronged you and be friends again.
PRAYER: Lord help me to be discerning not to miss the destiny helpers You send my way through bad relationships.
