Post 68-Are You Tired of Waiting—What About Joseph?

                              

 

            A number of months ago, someone gave Carol a gift card to a small, upscale restaurant in the Chadds Ford area. Recently, we decided to use the card and went early on a Saturday morning to, hopefully, beat the morning breakfast/brunch crowd. After being seated, the hostess asked if we wanted anything to drink. “Yes please. Water for both of us, orange juice for me, and coffee for both,” I answered. She brought the water and juice almost immediately, and disappeared. In time, a different woman appeared and said she would be our waitress, and took our order, but did not bring any coffee. The restaurant was only 45 to 60% full, if that.  

            Have you ever heard anyone joking about how they are before they’ve had their coffee, and then the magic that happens to them after they’ve had that first cup of brew?  Well, I’m not quite bad, but when I go out to eat for breakfast, I expect coffee to be one of the first things a waitress or hostess puts before me. After about 10 minutes, and still no coffee, I had to go to the restroom. I passed the coffee station on my way. There was our waitress, talking to others, around the coffee machines. On the way back past I said to her, “We’re still waiting for our coffee.”  It looked to me like there was a pot coming down and one full one sitting there.

            Back at the table, I impatiently waited for another five to ten minutes and then told Carol to get up because we were leaving. While any good restaurant or diner worth its salt will get the coffee to the table as soon as possible, my impatience wasn’t really based on that, but on my own lack of patience. I had forgotten God’s word about self-control. Some years ago, I personalized Proverbs 25:28:

   I operate in self-control and don’t allow my spirit to be unruly. I refuse to be like a city that is broken down and without walls. Self-control and discipline add protection to my life. 

             In my quick reference Bible verse book for when one has a need (for example, what does the Bible say about anxiety or worry, or hope, or temptation, or patience), the pages on Patience are dog-eared. Just one of the many verses on patience is

I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. Psalm 40:1 NIV

            I had the perfect, negative trifecta. My lack of patience set Carol on edge, ruined our day, and brought on conviction from the Holy Spirit. You’d think by now, after all these years, I would have learned, or developed,   p a t i e n c e. Very early on in my Christian walk, one of the first scriptures God dealt with me on was

² My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, ³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. ⁴ But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. James 1:2-4 NKJV

            I have never cared for James 1:2-4. Why?  God throws a catch into this. He says we have to go through various trials (not getting coffee, traffic jams, illnesses, problems with co-workers, whatever) to have patience produced. He doesn’t just give it to us. While I don’t understand why He doesn’t just go “Poof! You now have patience,” His ways are higher than our ways and He knows what He’s doing.

            I was recently talking to my pastor about some big situations we are facing. While some of them have to do with me rethinking my positions and then, perhaps (probably), humbling myself, a couple of the situations have to do with waiting, in other words being patient and trusting God for His timing to some things we’ve been praying about for years.  My pastor reminded me of Joseph.

            Do you remember Joseph? Beginning in Genesis 37 with the dream he had of reaching family ascendancy, and then continuing for the next fourteen chapters we learn more and more about Joseph, his family, about God’s extraordinary plans for him, and about the Jewish nation  In time, we are introduced to Joseph’s gift of dream interpretation and his acknowledgement that interpretations come from God. We see Joseph growing in stature in spite of being unjustly jailed. Finally, he is elevated to ruler of Egypt, only behind Pharaoh, in authority. Not even the forgetful butler kept Joseph from rising to governmental power and family headship. 

            I’m sure we’ve all heard the cliché, “The butler did it!”  But what if the butler had remembered Joseph as soon as he was released?  He would have arranged for a pardon from Pharaoh, and Joseph would have gone home to his family. Two years later Pharaoh would have his dream and there would have been no interpretation, no storing up for 7 years, and little  chance of survival of Joseph’s family and the Jewish nation  So Joseph had to wait in jail, more limbo, until the timing was right for God to accomplish His purposes for Egypt and Israel. In other words, the delay, waiting for God to “do something” was necessary for His ultimate purposes and blessing to Israel. 

            How long did it take? According to Rav Kook, a Jewish Orthodox rabbi, Joseph first had the dream when he was 17 years old, but he did not become leader of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh, until age thirty. But even then, God did not fulfill the dream. That took nine more years (after seven years of plenty and two years of famine), until his brothers came to buy food for their father and families. So Joseph’s dream that his brothers would one day bow down before him and recognize his greatness were fulfilled when he was 39 years old.  We see that his dreams took 22 years to come true! For God to make them a reality.

            This past weekend, while I was preparing for our annual trip to the CPA to get help with our taxes, I was going through our file on 501(c)(3) giving. I found a newsletter from one of the ministries we contribute to on a regular basis. In a recent edition of Inspiration, Joel Osteen’s ministry newsletter, it dealt with patience and waiting on God for answers to our dreams or fulfillment of our dreams.  Osteen talks about how God will often show His love to us. It’s not always in a manner we would necessarily think of. Sometimes, we are not ready to receive an answer to our prayers. Osteen wrote,

In the same way, God shows His love for us not only by what He gives, but also by what He withholds. He knows what you can handle, and He knows your destiny. So don’t fight Him if He says, “Not yet.” Trust His timing. “No” doesn’t’ mean never.

            Osteen likens waiting on God (and during this time He is probably also working on increasing our patience) to a fruit tree. When the tree is planted, it must grow, develop roots and get to the place where it is able to produce fruit. For a standard size apple tree, for example, this can take between 6 and 10 years. Then, the fruit doesn’t magically appear, things have to happen first. The tree must blossom. The blossom must be pollinated to be fertilized. The blossom must turn into the fruit. The fruit must grow to the ripened stage. Then in season, the fruit can be picked.

            During the waiting time it is easy to become discouraged. Osteen says about this,

Friend, if you’ll keep meditating on God’s Word, if you will keep your mind filled with thoughts of hope and faith, then without even trying (Does the fruit tree try to produce fruit? My comment.)...you are going to come in to your due season.

And God says this,

⁹ And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. Galatians 6:9 KJV

            Here, for me, is the rub. I find myself getting discouraged, impatient, listening to the nay-sayers, doubting God for the help I need or the answers I’ve been seeking. Why? It is usually because I’ve stopped reading my Bible regularly. I’m not meditating on His Word or trying to memorize scriptures. For one reason or another I stop delighting myself in Him. Yes, while God is sovereign and can do, or not do, whatever pleases Him, I often think that others use this as an excuse to give up on seeing Him answer our prayers or fulfill His promises.  

Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart. Ps 37:4 NASB

            I felt Osteen was seconding what my pastor had only a week before told me about Joseph. Joel wrote,

Maybe you are like Joseph and find yourself in a difficult place right now. If so, I want to encourage you to stay in faith. You are right on schedule. The delay, the detour, the disappointment—God is going to work every setback for your good. (Does this sound anything like Romans 8:28 Again, my comment.)

            I mentioned the nay-sayers. We all have them. They either don’t believe. Perhaps it has been so long that they have taken their eyes off Him. Or, they have probably gotten discouraged by the circumstances in their own lives and given up on waiting for God..

 And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, 26 And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,....Mark 5:25, 26 KJV

² Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep gate a pool.... ³ In these lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, and withered, waiting for the moving of the waters...(and) whoever then first, after the stirring up of the water, stepped in was made well from whatever disease with which he was afflicted.⁵ A man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. ⁶ When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had already been a long time in that condition, He said to him, “Do you wish to get well?” ⁷ The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” ⁸ Jesus *said to him, “Get up, pick up your pallet and walk.” ⁹ Immediately the man became well, and picked up his pallet and began to walk. John 5:2 ff NASB

²⁶ Then they sailed to the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee. ²⁷ And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time.... ²⁹ For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness. Luke 8:26ff NKJV

             But even Jesus had them, the nay-sayers. In Mark 5 (NASB) is an excellent example of not only waiting on Jesus and the disruptions or discouragements that can come while waiting, even after He promised, but also the nay-sayers. A synagogue official’s daughter was sick unto dying. The official came to Jesus and implored Him to come and heal her. Jesus said yes. But along the way he stopped to help someone else, and the little girl died.

³⁵ While He was still speaking, they came from the house of the synagogue official, saying, “Your daughter has died; why trouble the Teacher anymore?” ³⁶ But Jesus, overhearing what was being spoken, said to the synagogue official, “Do not be afraid any longer, only  believe.” ³⁷ And He allowed no one to accompany Him, except Peter and James and John the brother of James. ³⁸ They came to the house of the synagogue official; and He saw a commotion, and people loudly weeping and wailing. ³⁹ And entering in, He said to them, “Why make a commotion and weep? The child has not died, but is asleep.” ⁴⁰ They began laughing at Him. But putting them all out, He took along the child’s father and mother and His own companions, and entered the room where the child was. ⁴¹ Taking the child by the hand, He said to her, “Talitha kum!” (which translated means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). ⁴² Immediately the girl got up and began to walk, for she was twelve years old. And immediately they were completely astounded. ⁴³ And He gave them strict orders that no one should know about this, and He said that something should be given her to eat.

            Can I guarantee that every prayer will be answered? No. Can I guarantee every outcome will be like the one with the little girl? No. But can I encourage us to stay in the Word; to let faith build in our hearts; to not listen to the nay-sayers; to trust Him to bring you into your season? Yes. And God says this,

⁹ And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. Galatians 6:9 KJV

²⁶ But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26 NKJV

            I believe Joel as he ends his newsletter,

God hasn’t forgotten you, and He hasn’t forsaken you. He knows how long it’s been, and He’s heard all your prayers. Your circumstances may tell you, “It’s too late,” but God wants to tell you today, “You are right on time.”