Who would've thunk it?

From: Ben Kelley
Subject: Who would've thunk it?

A little Alabama lingo for you in the title, but most of you understood it right away. It means, "who would have ever thought that?" I want to use this to start out a message that demonstrates the truth of Isaiah 55:8-9, where God tells us: For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. I would like to point you to one aspect of this, using the life of Joseph as an example.

God had revealed Joseph's future to him in two dreams. Both of them showed God's plan was to elevate him to such a status that even his parents and older brothers would look up to him, even bowing before him. This meant that he would somehow become eminently successful, which wasn't the normal order of things, being as he was the youngest of 12 brothers. That he would reach such a lofty status that even his parents would bow in obeisance to him was not imaginable, but Jacob, his father, it said, did wonder about and ponder these dreams of Joseph's.

Now, if we were to put together a plan for a 17 year old young man to really make it big in the world, what would it consist of? First, we would probably make sure he ate right, got good exercise, and went to the finest schools we could afford. We would make sure he had every advantage we could give to place him at the head of the line in every aspect of his life, such as getting him in the right circles, where all the right people could take notice and help him along the way. We would get him the best clothing we could afford, so he would fit in to those circles of influence and power. We would make sure no one disturbed his study time and that he got plenty of sleep. We would save for his college tuition, etc., etc., etc. That's just about what our thoughts and ways would put together.

Now, what did God do? First, HE used Joseph's brothers' hatred and jealousy of him to get them to consider killing him, but finally deciding to sell him off as a slave to some foreign traders. (Not exactly our way of getting off to a good start towards success, was it?) Then God moved an Egyptian official to buy him, and gave him favor with his new master, who put him in charge of all his business. (Now, God, that's more like it; we like your plan again.) Even the mistress of the house "took a shine to him," but that ended up getting him falsely accused and thrown into prison. (Hold up now, Lord, things are getting off track again.) Well, God engineered for that head jailer to like this young man, also, and he became his "number one" in the jail hierarchy. (Okay, God, it's iffy, but at least it's a step forward.) A long time in prison still wouldn't rank high on our list of steps to success. Well, Joseph did get to meet 2 minor court personnel, the chief baker and the chief butler, while in the prison, interpreted a dream for each of them, and one even promised to tell the Pharaoh about him and try to get him out. (Sounds okay.) The man forgot him though, for two more long years. (Time is wasting, Lord, we need to get a move on. We still have to get Joseph out in to society and in the right schools before he will ever have a chance!) God's ways and thoughts are not ours, and praise His Name for that! All those "mishaps" in Joseph's life had prepared him to be a leader and a patient man, who looked to God for his direction. Any other way would have made a "self-made" man out of him. Now, all God had to do was give old Pharaoh a couple of nightmares, prevent anyone else from figuring out their meanings, remind the chief butler of that old boy in the prison who had interpreted his dream correctly, and "presto!", we have a brand new ball game and Joseph is a big wheel over night! HE gave Joseph a good sounding plan to present to Pharaoh, and now Joseph is the number two man in the whole country. As if that's not enough, God brought on 7 years of plenty and then 7 years of famine, and because of the wise plan HE had given Him, Joseph is now sought by people all over that part of the world. Even his brothers had to come and beg food from him. Later, the whole family came on over to Egypt, where they lived off Joseph's favor and good will, and ultimately became a people of 2-3 million before departing that land.

Now, I ask you, "who would've thunk it?" Never in a million years would we have engineered such a seemingly impossible path to such a gigantic success, but God did. What about your life? Is there a dream or vision God has given you, a path HE has given for you to follow? Does it seem as if the way has been lost, and the goal is now impossible? Look back at the steps and years it took for Joseph to get where God planned for him to be. Jealousy, hatred, slavery, lust, false accusations, prison, unkept promises for years, and world wide famine, all of these were God ordained steps for God's man to reach God's planned goal for him. Who would've thunk it? Not me, not you, but God did. HE's working in your life too, it's just His ways and thoughts are not your ways and thoughts. Personally, I'd rather put my money on His. How about you? When the way seems impossible, remember Joseph, and, "who would've thunk it?"