It is easy to acknowledge that the Lord is in control when everything is going the way we want. What is much harder is to understand that God is in control not only of the good times in our lives, but the bad times as well. Knowing this is one of the things that helped Joseph make it through the toughest times. In Genesis 40, we can see how God is in control of all our circumstances, and how He uses those both to give us opportunities to be faithful, and to encourage us.

I.   God is in Control (40:1-8)

A.  In Control of Us

B.  In Control Around Us

II.  An Opportunity to be Faithful (40:9-19)

A.  The Cupbearer’s Dream

B.  The Baker’s Dream

III.  Finding the Right Encouragement (40:20-23)

A.  In the Providence of God

B.  In God

Questions for consideration:  (1)  In what ways do you see the Lord’s hand in your life today? How does that encourage you?  (2)  Why is it important for others around us that we are faithful to the Lord?  (3)  What is the enemy of trusting God? How can we defeat it?