Our God is sovereign, conclusion

Yesterday we had a great plan.
We had the mightiest man in the known world who needed an administrator to carry out the plan.
What's next?
Pharaoh probably didn't get to the top of the heap solely on heredity. He could probably size up people and situations pretty well!
He chose Joseph:

So Pharaoh asked them, “Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God?”39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. 40 You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders.Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you.” (Genesis 41:38-40)

Personally, I believe that even though he was an unbeliever, Pharaoh could recognize the work of God and His Spirit when he saw it. So, he made Joseph his second-in-command, and then "signed" the deal in truly kingly fashion:

So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.” 42 Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. 43 He had him ride in a chariot as his second-in-command, and people shouted before him, “Make way!” Thus he put him in charge of the whole land of Egypt.
44 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your word no one will lift hand or foot in all Egypt.” 

Pharaoh gave him all of the symbols of authority, power, and honor that were possible to give. Even changed his name and gave him a wife:

45 Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah and gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife. And Joseph went throughout the land of Egypt. (v45)

Not bad for a guy who had been betrayed and sold into slavery. And I think the wife was to cement his ties to his new home -- if he had a wife, he was settled down and would become a family man. (Grin) Joseph was only thirty years old, and he was now the "prime minister" of Egypt! Did this happen by chance? No way!
Soon, all of the things that Joseph had predicted in his interpretation of Pharaoh's dream came to reality. The seven years of plenty.... then the seven hard years.

When all Egypt began to feel the famine, the people cried to Pharaoh for food. Then Pharaoh told all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph and do what he tells you.” (v 55)

Pharaoh says, "No worries. We prepared for that." It's all happening as Joseph said; it's all happening as God planned for it to be.
Let's look at Joseph's family:

50 Before the years of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. 51 Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh and said, “It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.” 52 The second son he named Ephraim and said, “It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.” (v 50-52)

Hey, that's interesting -- he gave both his boys Hebrew names. He was living in Egypt, and married to an Egyptian woman, but he gave his sons names that would always remind them of their heritage. Seems that although he may have looked like an Egyptian outwardly, inwardly he was still worshiping the God of his dad, granddad, and great-grandad.
He also gave them names that show us where he was spiritually and emotionally. First, Manasseh: he was not bitter toward his family; he'd not forgotten, but he had forgiven. God had helped him to forget the pain of rejection and betrayal by his brothers.
How do we "get over" things in our lives? I don't think you ever really do. You don't get over them. There are some things that scar and mark your soul for life. But here is the important thing: we can say along with Joseph, "God has helped me forget the pain of my past." We can forgive, even if we never really forget.
His second son was named "Ephraim." In the Hebrew, this means made fruitful. Even in the land where he has suffered false accusation, un-merited punishment, and more, he is now experiencing blessings.
In our lives as believers, isn't this true? First we must be set free from bitterness, from an unforgiving spirit, and then we can enjoy God's blessings. This is all because we believe in our sovereign God; we can forgive and move on with our lives.
We all go through hard situations; we all experience things where we need our sovereign God. We need a God big enough to cover all of our pain. A God big enough to handle our problems. A God big enough for our fears, and big enough to help us face whatever we are facing -- right now, and in our future.
Our God, our almighty Father, the YAHWEH of the Bible, is that sovereign God. He is with us. He is for us. He will never, ever leave us stranded.
Amen!

Oh!
By the way, this isn't the end of the story......