Genesis 41

What if? Did you ever play the game of “what if?” as a young child? It’s simple. You asked another player what if…? They answer your question and then ask you the question back. It’s a game of pretend. The game allows you to build imaginary worlds. It is a game that teaches you to think in new ways. You see possibilities that you’ve never seen before.

Adults use it in the workplace as a form of group problem solving. There’s also a type of literature called alternative history that is built around this question. There’s a whole series of books based on what would the world be like if the outcome of the Civil War had been different.

God gave Pharaoh his dreams. God gave Joseph the interpretation of Pharaoh’s dreams. Pharaoh gave Joseph the responsibility of preparing for the famine the dreams predicted. Joseph did his job well. When the famines hit Egypt was saved from ruin. Joseph sold the food to the Egyptian people, and pharaoh was enriched. The people from the known world came to Egypt to buy grain and lives were saved across many nations.

What if pharaoh had acknowledged that Joseph’s God was the one true God? What if besides appointing Joseph to his position of power he had acknowledged Joseph’s God as the new God of Egypt. The famine would have still happened. The people of Egypt would have still been saved. There would have been a difference. Instead of buying their salvation, they would have recognized their salvation as a gift from God. Instead of giving pharaoh their gold, they would have given God the Glory. The nations of the world would have still come to Egypt to buy grain. Instead of going home with bags of grain alone, they might have gone home with the bread of life. What if?

Look at your life. Are there things about it you would like to see different? Are there things you regret? The past is done, but the future is yet to be lived. Ask the question, “What if?” What if you were to let God be God? What would change, and what would remain the same? What if?