Have you ever done everything right and still ended up in a hard place? Maybe you were betrayed by someone close to you. Maybe you’ve been waiting for a door to open for years. If so, the story of Joseph in the Book of Genesis was written for you.
Thrown into the pit
Joseph was his father’s favorite son, and his brothers resented him for it. One day, they stripped him of his special coat, threw him into a dry pit and then sold him to traders headed for Egypt. In a single day he lost his home, his family and his freedom.
Faithful in the wrong place
In Egypt, Joseph became a servant in the house of an official named Potiphar. Instead of giving up, he worked with integrity, and Scripture says “the LORD was with Joseph” (Genesis 39:2). But when he refused to do wrong, he was falsely accused and thrown into prison.
Even in prison, Joseph kept serving. He helped other prisoners and interpreted their dreams. One of them, the king’s cupbearer, promised to remember him once he was released. Then he forgot Joseph for two more long years.
The day everything changed
When Pharaoh had troubling dreams that no one could explain, the cupbearer finally remembered. Joseph was brought out of prison, interpreted the dreams, and warned of a coming famine. Pharaoh put him in charge of all of Egypt. In one day, Joseph went from the prison to the palace.
Years later, his brothers came to Egypt begging for food. They didn’t recognize him. Joseph had every reason to take revenge. Instead, he forgave them, and said one of the most powerful lines in the whole Bible:
“But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.” (Genesis 50:20)
Four lessons for your waiting season
- Where you are is not where you’ll stay. The pit and the prison were real, but they were not the end of Joseph’s story.
- Be faithful where you are. Joseph didn’t wait for the palace to do his best. He served well in every place, and that prepared him for what was coming.
- Delays are not denials. Being forgotten for two years must have hurt. But God’s timing put Joseph in the right place at the exact right moment.
- Forgiveness sets you free. Joseph’s greatest victory wasn’t power. It was the grace to forgive the people who hurt him.
A prayer for the waiting
Lord, I don’t always understand where I am or why it’s taking so long. Help me to be faithful right here, to trust Your timing, and to believe that You can bring good out of what was meant to harm me. Give me the strength to forgive and the hope to keep going. Amen.
If you’re in a pit today, hold on. The same God who was with Joseph is with you.
Are you in a waiting season right now? Share in the comments and let our family around the world pray with you.
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