“I cannot do this”: How to be Fruitful God’s Way
"I cannot do it".
That was the prisoner's answer to the king's request.
How dare he say no to the king!
It is highly disrespectful to turn down a request of the king, let alone a Pharaoh who was considered to be a god-king.
What was the man thinking?
Was the king's request too difficult for him to do?
The god-king had been troubled by a dream. All the wise men and magicians could not interpret his dream for him. So he ordered a man to be brought out of prison to help him interpret his dream. This man was highly recommended by the king's chief cupbearer since he was able to interpret his dream for him some years ago.
So here he was, in front of the king to hear his request.
The prisoner knew this was the moment he had been waiting for. He had been in prison for two years for a crime he didn't commit. He had been longing for an opportunity like this, to find favor in the eyes of the king and take him out of that dungeon.
The king said to the prisoner, "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."
"I cannot do it," the man replied to the king.
Perhaps the god-king was not expecting that kind of answer from the prisoner.
"You cannot do it? I thought you were the one my cupbearer was speaking so highly about." Maybe the king was thinking these words when he heard the man's answer. But the man was not yet done speaking.
"But God will give the king the answer he desires," said the prisoner to the god-king.
You probably know by now who this prisoner is.
Joseph knew that dream interpretations belong to God. Yes, he can interpret dreams but he was not doing it by himself. It was God giving him the interpretations. He was just a spokesperson.
He interpreted two of his co-prisoner's dreams two years ago and the interpretations were both spot on. Now it was time for him to interpret the god-king's dream and Joseph doesn't hesitate to give God all the credit. He knew he needed to find favor with Pharaoh so he could have simply shown off his dream interpretation skills and finally be set free from prison. But he chose to give God all the credit.
"I CANNOT DO IT… BUT GOD WILL."
These words jumped out of the pages of my Bible when I was reading the story of Joseph a few days ago. These words are still reverberating in my spirit right now.
This is such a powerful statement and I think I want to integrate these words into my life.
I admire Joseph's boldness and confidence in God. He knew he could not interpret dreams on his own, but he was sure that God would do it for him.
May I be able to say those words as well…
When I'm faced with a difficult problem, I pray that I will be able to say, "I cannot solve this problem but God will help me solve this!"
When I'm thinking about how I can provide for my family, may I be able to say to myself, "I cannot provide for my family but God will provide for us!
When I'm thinking about how I can consistently write a blog post every single week for one year, may I find myself saying, "I cannot write this article but God will help me find the words to write!"
When I'm struggling to stay productive for the day, may I find hope in these words saying, "I cannot become productive on my own but God will make me fruitful!"
I woke up at 4:00 am this morning so I may be able to finish writing this article and publish it on time. I know all too well that I cannot write this on my own. But I know God will give me the words to write.
So here it is. I hope you’ll find this post helpful and add value to you.
Have a fruitful week!
Photo by Armand Khoury on Unsplash