The One Year Bible - Day 19

Genesis 40 is a great story of suffering in a way that honours God. You don't get any sense of self-pity or hopelessness with Joseph at all, he even seems to be enjoying his work in the prison. This surely encourages us to do the same - to live out our best in all situations.

There is then this remarkable section about interpreting the cup-bearers dream and asking him to put in a good word to Pharoah. He of course forgets and Joseph has to wait another 2 YEARS before he is given a chance to be restored.

This is a challenge in two ways. Firstly, for those of you who suffer in some way like Joseph when it isn't 'your fault', it is a challenge to wait for God to resolve in his own timing but not in a miserable way, in a way that makes the most of the situation. It is also challenging to us who feel called to a ministry but which doesn't seem to be happening yet. If we are prepared to trust God, His timing will happen when it happens. We don't know if the time Joseph was in prison was to build character or toughness or whether it was because circumstances outside had to be right before he could carry on with God's plan but we know from history that he was restored and saved the lives of the Israelites from starvation, all in God's timing.