Waiting on God, continued

Waiting.
Patience.
Two very difficult words, sometimes.
We know that as believers, we are striving to discipline ourselves, to grow more like our Lord. But waiting is SO HARD sometimes!
Look at all the things we wait for.......our grades when we're in school, our diploma when we're finished, our first job offer, our future spouse, and many more. Waiting for our loved one to be saved. Waiting for our loved one to come back to the Lord.
I've noticed when I've been around people who are avid football or soccer fans, that there's a lot less to watch than you would think. Luckily, we don't watch a lot in our house, but that's beside the point. (Grin) I saw a statistic about football telecasts: in that typical three-hour game there are sixty minutes of commercials, seventy-five minutes of players standing around, and seventeen minutes of replays. If you throw in some shots of the crowd and the cheerleaders, and the sportscasters, too, what's left? About eleven minutes of football!
We all spend a lot of time waiting. We may be working while we are waiting, that's true. Many times we are in a period where God is trying to teach us something. We need to listen and learn.
Perhaps Joseph needed to learn that God's delays are not God's denials. (Warren Wiersbe)

So, what do we do, while we are waiting?
Let's look at what Joseph did.....

Some time later, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt offended their master, the king of Egypt. 2 Pharaoh was angry with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, 3 and put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the same prison where Joseph was confined. 4 The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he attended them. (Genesis 40:1-4)

Do we work faithfully while we wait? As we go about our routine, do we try to do a really great job at our tasks? Let me explain: we're not sure how long Joseph had been in the prison when these two new prisoners showed up. Now, he didn't know how his story would turn out, so this was just another day in prison for him. He has no real hope of getting out -- he doesn't know that two years later, one of these guys would make it possible for him to leave! But Joseph remained faithful to his God and kept doing a good job at his tasks. If he had not, he would not have been promoted and trusted.
It's the little things that we do every day, that are the seeds of our future. Do each task well.

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, (Ecclesiastes 9:10a, NIV)

Whatever turns up, grab it and do it. And heartily! (Ecclesiastes 9:10a, The Message)

Life is unpredictable, and something unexpected is always going to turn up. It's a challenge for us to remain perky and positive, but we can take hold of the ordinary responsibilities of life and make sure they get done! If we are faithful to our tasks, and faithful to the Lord, there is always something that can be done. It may seem small or trivial; perhaps the laundry or making a phone call, or writing a note to a shut-in or saying our prayers and reading the Word.....but whatever is "on our plate," we should do it well. We never know what the "little" things may lead to, or what they may prepare us for. Joseph had no way of knowing that by taking care of these palace peeps, he was advancing the cause of his own freedom. But he was faithful, and we can be faithful, too.
Back to our story:

After they had been in custody for some time, 5 each of the two men—the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were being held in prison—had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own.
6 When Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw that they were dejected. 7 So he asked Pharaoh’s officials who were in custody with him in his master’s house, “Why do you look so sad today?”
8 “We both had dreams,” they answered, “but there is no one to interpret them.”Then Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.” (Genesis 40:4b-8)

Isn't it interesting that there were dreams in the first part of Joseph's story, and here are more dreams.... we'll see dreams play a significant part later, too. Did you see that Joseph was ready and willing to interpret their dreams? I think that means that he still puts a lot of stock in dreams; I believe he still remembers his own dreams, and he hasn't given up on them, either. After all he has been through, he still believes God will cause the dreams to come true. If Joseph didn't feel that way, he might have said, "Y'all should just forget about those dreams. They don't mean a thing."
But he didn't.
And there's another thing he didn't say: He didn't tell them he was an expert and could figure it all out for them. In fact, he tells them how the dreams can be interpreted -- "do not interpretations belong to God?" He tells them there's a God in heaven who gives dreams, and that God is the One Who will explain them. I love, love the fact that Joseph saw God's hand everywhere!
Let's say that one again -- Joseph saw God's hand everywhere!
Oh, that we would be more like Joseph!
Joseph realized that strong walls and bars were no obstacle to his God. In fact, God does some amazing work in prisons. People are saved in prison. People write awesome books in prison. People's lives are changed.... so, are we ready to be faithful and serve God wherever we may be?

Lastly, we see that Joseph was bold. Want to see how we know that?

But when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison. (Genesis 40:14)

I'll bet that the cupbearer, or "butler," was pretty excited when he heard the interpretation of his own dream -- he would be going back to the palace in three days!  Huzzah! In the midst of the excitement, Joseph makes a bold request. He has been unfairly treated, and he'd love to get out of there, too.

Joseph was faithful and ready to serve God in the prison. But on the other hand, he doesn't want to stay there forever! He's accepted that this is where God wants him for now, but he hopes to be set free at some point.

It will be two years before the cupbearer remembers Joseph's request. But he will remember.....