Living Water #630

LIVING WATER – EPISODE 630 || 24TH FEBRUARY, 2026

By Solomon Uwumbolibe Mensah

GO TO JOSEPH

Scripture Reading: Book of Genesis 41:53–55

“The seven years of abundance in Egypt came to an end, and the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said… Then Pharaoh told all the Egyptians, ‘Go to Joseph and do what he tells you.’”

1. When Abundance Ends: The text tells us plainly that the seven years of abundance came to an end. Seasons change. High places give way to low valleys. Prosperity does not last forever. In Genesis 41, Egypt moves from plenty to famine; not gradually, not unexpectedly, but exactly as God had revealed. What looked like endless abundance had an expiration date. We, too, experience seasons of joy, seasons of health, seasons of financial stability, and seasons of spiritual vibrancy. And sometimes, without warning, famine begins; emotional famine, spiritual famine, financial famine, relational famine. Yet the famine did not mean God had lost control. It came “just as Joseph had said.” In other words, it came just as God had planned. God is just as sovereign in famine as He is in abundance.

2. God Prepares Before the Crisis: Before the famine ever began, God had already positioned a man, and that man was Joseph. Years earlier, Joseph had been betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, falsely accused, and thrown into prison. What looked like punishment was actually preparation. By the time the famine struck, Joseph was exactly where he needed to be in a position of authority, wisdom, and provision. Church, hear this clearly: your current struggle may be God’s preparation for someone else’s survival. The prison was not wasted. The betrayal was not wasted. The waiting was not wasted. God uses seasons of obscurity to prepare us for seasons of influence.

3. The Famine Reveals True Need: Verse 55 tells us that when all Egypt began to feel the famine, the people cried to Pharaoh for food. Famine exposes reality. When everything is plentiful, we tend to rely on ourselves. But when famine hits, we quickly discover our limitations. The people cried out not when the barns were full, but when the cupboards were empty. Sometimes God allows famine not to destroy us, but to redirect us. The famine revealed that Egypt could not feed itself, that Pharaoh was not the ultimate provider, and that human systems have limits. In the same way, spiritual famine reveals that careers cannot satisfy the soul, relationships cannot replace God, and success cannot remove emptiness.

4. “Go to Joseph”: Pharaoh’s response was powerful: “Go to Joseph and do what he tells you.” Pharaoh recognized that the solution was not in himself, but in the one God had appointed. Joseph had grain, wisdom, authority, and a plan. This moment in Genesis points us to a greater truth. Joseph becomes a picture of another who would come centuries later; one who was also rejected, betrayed, and exalted to save many. Like Joseph, He was rejected by His own, suffered unjustly, was raised to a place of authority, and became the source of life in a time of spiritual famine. His name is Jesus. When humanity faced a famine of righteousness, heaven’s message was essentially the same: “Go to Him.” Just as Pharaoh said, “Do what he tells you,”The call today is obedience. Provision flows through submission.

5. Obedience Unlocks Provision: Pharaoh did not say, “Go to Joseph and negotiate,” nor did he say, “Go to Joseph and suggest alternatives.” He said, “Do what he tells you.” Provision required obedience. When the people obeyed Joseph, they lived. When we obey Christ, we find life. In times of famine, we must go to the one God has appointed, listen to His instruction, trust His wisdom, and follow His direction. Sometimes His instruction may not make immediate sense; just as storing grain during abundance may have seemed unnecessary; but obedience in abundance prepares us for endurance in famine.

6. There Is Bread in Egypt: The text also tells us something remarkable: there was famine in all the other lands, but in the whole land of Egypt there was food. While the world starved, there was provision where God’s plan had been followed. Today, the world experiences a famine of hope, truth, and peace. Yet in Christ there is still bread. There is still life. There is still salvation. The question is not whether there is provision. The question is whether we will go to the one God has appointed.

Where Do You Go in Famine?

When famine comes, do we panic, blame, or strive harder in our own strength? Or do we go to the one God has positioned? Pharaoh’s instruction still echoes through time: “Go to Joseph.” And for us today, the greater call is clear: go to Jesus, do what He tells you, and trust the One whom God has exalted. Because in every famine; spiritual, emotional, financial, or physical God has already made provision.

Call to Action

When famine hits your life: when peace feels distant, when resources run low, when clarity disappears; do not run everywhere else first. Do not rely solely on your own understanding. Do not make Pharaoh your source.

The instruction still echoes: “Go to Joseph.”

For us today, that means go to Jesus. Go to Him in prayer. Go to Him in obedience. Go to Him in surrender. Do not negotiate with His Word; obey it. Do not delay in responding; trust Him. Do not look for alternative sources of life; He is the provision.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You that nothing takes You by surprise and that You prepare provision before we see the need. Forgive us for trusting in ourselves instead of You, and teach us to come to You first. In every season; whether abundance or lack; help us to obey, trust, and follow You. Jesus, You are our provision and our bread of life. Draw us closer to You.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.