Trusting God's Plan in the Waiting: Lessons From the Life of Josephናሙና

A PROMISE FULFILLED

The wait is finally over for Joseph! The day he has been dreaming of and his heart’s desire are finally being met. Sure Joseph has become the 2nd most powerful person in Egypt. He’s rich beyond measure, and God has reconciled and restored his life with his brothers, but everything pales in comparison to being reunited with his father. It’s been almost 20 years since he last saw him.

Believing Joseph is alive, Jacob and his entire extended family pack up everything and move to Egypt. Pharaoh’s moving service rolls out the red carpet with carts from Egypt. Pharaoh sets aside an area in Egypt that happens to be the most fertile in all the land, called Goshen to be their new home. Let it sink in what it must have felt like when Joseph rolls up in his chariot to see his father. What would he look like? Would he remember him? Who were all these other people with him? His mind must have been racing!

“As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his father and wept for a long time.”   (v29)

That must have been the longest hug in history! Joseph was making up for a lifetime of lost hugs. His wait was finally over! What a moment of praise! His wait, and all of the pain that went with it, had a great purpose! God had a plan and Joseph was receiving the blessing of seeing it from His perspective. Jacob left Canaan as Jacob, but he arrived in Egypt as Israel, the Jewish nation. Joseph didn’t just save Egypt from the famine, he saved the nation of Israel as well, and we can still thank him for that today!

My friend, one day your wait will be over. Your heart’s desire will be met in God’s perfect timing. It most likely will not happen the way you expect and certainly not at the time you expect, but it will happen!  

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”  Galatians 6:9 

Questions:    

• What does your harvest look like for you?    
• How can you build a safeguard around you so you will not give up in the waiting?     
• How can Joseph’s account encourage you on those days you may become weary?