PASTOR’S NOTES
Now there was a young Hebrew man with us there, a servant of the captain of the guard.”
It’s funny how much can change in just a few sentences in someone’s life. At the end of chapter 40, Joseph was in prison and the chief butler failed to help him once he was released. Now in chapter 41, thirteen years from the moment Joseph was sold by his brother, Joseph was going to see God’s call to freedom! Joseph was going to go from being the servant of the lowest to over the highest in the land. The end of Genesis, the story of God’s hand in Joseph’s life is a call to many acts of holiness. God’s word in this story calls us to loving our brothers well, trusting in God’s promises, and in chapter 41 we see a call to patience.
As we said last week, God’s promises were just a chapter away in Joseph’s life. However, we see a lack of patience is usually what triggers a lack of trust. Simply put, Joseph sure was tired of just waiting. A call to patience is something that the Holy Spirit still calls us to today. God’s word is full of promises. For those who are believers, we are given countless promises from God. We are given the promise of peace, hope, fulfillment, and joy. Those promises might be experienced in this life or they might not be, but either way God does promise them. We are also given the promise of Heaven with an eternity of perfection, void of all sin. It’s not hard finding the promises of God in the scriptures, the challenge comes being patient on His promises coming to fruition.
God always had His hand on Joseph’s life; however, 13 years of waiting must have been hard. Scripture doesn’t tell us that Joseph was angry, but the human imagination can read chapter 40 and see patience running thin and when patience runs thin, a lack of trust is not too far behind. Part of trusting God is being patient in His promises. God’s word is clear in the book of Romans, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” This is a promise of God. We are called to trust that God is real, that He is working, and that His plans are for our good and His glory.
Now also know that the only way we can be faithful in trusting God’s promises is to be patient in His plan. I pray that for all that read this, we find rest in the finished work of Christ. I pray that in that rest we begin to trust all the promises we have been given through what He accomplished. Lastly, be patient. Be faithful in your “13 years” of God’s pruning and molding. Don’t lose hope, but wait early as each day God’s promises get closer.
Stay faithful church
EXTRA READING THIS WEEK
Read chapter 22 in the book of Genesis as mentioned in last week’s message on Abraham’s faith and trust in God. Like Joseph, God made Abraham promises that at times were hard from him to trust or be patient in. Read chapter 22 and think about the similarities both men experienced.