Many people know the story, but in case you don’t, I’ll give a very quick rundown. Joseph, son of Jacob, a man faithful to God, was sold into slavery by his older brothers. Through some twists and turns, ups and downs, Joseph ends up in the King’s prison. Two of the King’s workers – the cupbearer and the baker – angered Pharaoh and were sent to prison. They had dreams. Joseph interpreted them correctly and asked the cupbearer to remember him. Joseph didn’t deserve to be in prison and hoped the cupbearer would inform Pharaoh of this injustice.
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Now…here are the two simple verses that made me pause, taken from Genesis 40:23 – 41:1:
The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him. When two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream.
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Okay, I’ve read over these verses many times before, thinking nothing about them. But WOW! Two full years?! Joseph had to wait two more full years – seven hundred and thirty more days in prison – before Pharaoh’s dream reminded the cupbearer of him. That is an incredibly long time to wait.
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It made me wonder… what was Joseph doing during those two years? I wonder if he thought he’d stay in prison forever. I wonder if he thought he would die there, forgotten and alone. I wonder if he got frustrated with God’s timing, wondering why in the world he was still there. I wonder if Joseph had days where he just gave up. It’s interesting to think about, isn’t it? Reading over the verses, the two years float right past our tongue. Yea, okay, so two years later Pharaoh had a dream. But hold up. Two years is a long time.
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Of course this made me think about my own life. In the midst of all this waiting, sometimes I find myself getting discouraged. When will I be able to stay home full time with Brogan, Lord? When will I get published? When will things start happening for me in this writing journey?
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Here’s the thing. I bet God had a lot of work to do with Joseph during those two years. I bet, during those two years, Joseph drew nearer to God. I bet he reached a point in his life where he had to let go of his dreams and just trust God to do His thing, whatever that may be.
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When I step back and gain some distance from my life, I’m able to see God working in me as well. He’s asking me to be still and know that He is God. He’s asking me to trust and to learn patience (something I have very little of). And throughout all this, I can feel Him taking my toes and my hair and stretching me out, growing me as a writer. As a person. I’ve learned SO much over this past year. Heck, I’ve learned SO much over the past month! And through this journey, I’ve grown closer to my maker.
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For whatever reason, God’s asking me to wait. And while this waiting might not end as glorious as Joseph’s (in case you don’t know, he becomes second to Pharaoh himself, a great leader of Egypt), God has a purpose for it.
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Question to ponder: What’s God asking you to wait for today? What are you doing while you wait?
