Having foresight

“5…4…3…2…1…Happy New Year!” Goodbye to the old and welcome to the new. Interesting, isn’t it, that we celebrate something that doesn’t actually “do” anything. What I mean, of course, is that the changing of one year to the next changes only the calendar—not anything physical. And yet, the holiday still is significant, because it provides an opportune time for reflection, planning and possible change in our own lives.

In the book of Genesis, we learn about Joseph, who, through unique circumstances, became a slave to the Egyptians. God had a purpose for Joseph’s misfortune, though. One night, the Pharaoh had a dream that none could interpret. A close employee of Pharaoh’s remembered Joseph from a previous encounter and Joseph, who was summoned, interpreted the dream (it foretold that seven years of famine would strike after seven good years). After explaining the dream, Joseph said,

“ ‘And now let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and put him in charge of the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. They should collect all the food of these good years that are coming and store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh, to be kept in the cities for food. This food should be held in reserve for the country, to be used during the seven years of famine that will come upon Egypt, so that the country may not be ruined by the famine.’ The plan seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his officials” (Genesis 41:33-37 NIV)

Through this, God allowed Joseph to become Egypt’s second-highest leader and be instrumental in preparing the land for the future. What a vital role Joseph played! However, even in design, planning is a vital tool, because sketching ideas out on paper makes them much easier to render in the computer later. Truly, time spent on planning can be very valuable indeed. As you look to the new year, don’t forget this important step!

Sources:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=genesis%2041&version=NIV