Waiting…… April 28, 2014
If Joseph’sstory were not true, it would almost be comical. Our family is reading throughhis story in our evening devotions right now, and we’ve noticed that he’s aperfect example of the phrase “Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse…”First, God gives him dreams revealing his divine destiny; and next thing heknows, he’s sold into slavery. Next, he refuses to compromise his moralstandards, and he gets falsely accused and thrown into prison. Then he offershelp to a fellow prisoner, and this man forgets to reciprocate. Just when youthought it couldn’t get any worse! But his story offers wonderful lessons forour lives.
First,Joseph’s story demonstrates that God is with His children even through seasonsof agonized waiting. Over and over, we read “The Lord was with Joseph” or “TheLord caused all he did to succeed.” God hadn’t abandoned him or lost control ofhis circumstances. Despite all evidence to the contrary, God was right therewith Joseph, patiently working out His plan.
Second, Godused the prolonged period of waiting to help Joseph mature. As a teenager,Joseph wasn’t discerning enough to notice that his brothers were jealous oftheir father’s affection, and he wasn’t kind enough to keep his dreams tohimself. But God was at work on this young man! Ten years later, Joseph wasboth discerning (he noticed the sorrow of his fellow prisoners) and caring (heasked them what was wrong). These qualities didn’t emerge without cause;rather, God used setback after setback to make this youngster into a worthyleader.
Third,Joseph’s story reminds us that God often (always?) works this way. Before Hebrings blessing, He offers a test of waiting. He made the Patriarchs wait forchildren, Job wait for vindication and relief, David wait for deliverance fromSaul, the martyrs of Revelation 6 wait for vengeance. Joseph’s experience is aparadigm for all of God’s children. His ways are not our ways. We tend to valuethe product; He values product and process both. To God, the“in-between” matters just as much as the end.
Finally,Joseph reminds us of Jesus: divine destiny, rejected by His kinsmen, falselyaccused, faithful in testing, treated like a criminal, but, finally andunexpectedly, exalted to power and authority. And through Jesus, like Abraham’sgreat-grandson Joseph, “all the families of the earth will be blessed.”