The Waiting Game
Genesis 40:23 (New International Version)
New International Version (NIV) Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
23 The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.
We are all familiar with this Old Testament story. Joseph, son of Jacob, has been sold into slavery by his brothers. While in slavery, Joseph remains ever faithful to God, always giving the Lord credit for everything in his life. And what a prosperous life it was! Everything that Joseph touched turned golden.
Joseph was in prison with the Pharaoh's chief cupbearer and chief baker. While there, Joseph correctly (and he give all of the credit to God) interprets the dreams of these two imprisoned officials of Pharaoh. The chief cupbearer was probably the second or third most important position within Pharaoh's court. Not only would this man be responsible for assuring that Pharaoh had only the finest of food and drink, he would also personally taste everything that Pharaoh would eat or drink, looking for poison!
Now Joseph is thinking that if the cupbearer mentions him to Pharaoh, perhaps Joseph can get out of prison. But as Genesis 40:23 states, the cupbearer forgot all about Joseph and he continued to be imprisoned for two more years. Those must have been some incredibly long years of waiting.
Joe Bayly writes about waiting and the hope for believers in his book, The Last Thing We Talk About. Please read this great story.
One Saturday morning in January, I saw the mail truck stop at our mailbox up on the road.
Without thinking, except that I wanted to get the mail, I ran out of the house and up to the road in my shirt sleeves. It was bitterly cold - the temperature was below zero - there was a brisk wind from the north, and the ground was covered with more than a foot of snow.
I opened the mailbox, pulled out the mail, and was about to make a mad dash for the house when I saw what was on the bottom, under the letters: a Burpee seed catalog. On the front were bright zinnias. I turned it over. On the back were huge tomatoes.
For a few moments I was oblivious to the cold, delivered from it. I leafed through the catalog, tasting corn and cucumbers, smelling roses. I saw the freshly plowed earth, smelled it, let it run through my fingers. For those brief few moments, I was living in the springtime and summer, winter past.
Then the cold penetrated to my bones and I ran back to the house. When the door was closed behind me, and I was getting warm again, I thought how my moments at the mailbox were like our experiences as Christians.
We feel the cold, along with those who do not share our hope. The biting wind penetrates us as them…
But in our cold times, we have a seed catalog. We open it and smell the promised spring, eternal spring. And the firstfruit that settles our hope is Jesus Christ, who was raised from death and cold earth to glory eternal.
If you have ever done some gardening, you will relate to the physical descriptions from above. This is the hope that helps the Josephs of the world survive. How great is our Lord! So open up your "seed catalog" and see what wonderful treats He has awaiting for those who believe in his salvation.
Blessings
Mark
New International Version (NIV) Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
23 The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.
We are all familiar with this Old Testament story. Joseph, son of Jacob, has been sold into slavery by his brothers. While in slavery, Joseph remains ever faithful to God, always giving the Lord credit for everything in his life. And what a prosperous life it was! Everything that Joseph touched turned golden.
Joseph was in prison with the Pharaoh's chief cupbearer and chief baker. While there, Joseph correctly (and he give all of the credit to God) interprets the dreams of these two imprisoned officials of Pharaoh. The chief cupbearer was probably the second or third most important position within Pharaoh's court. Not only would this man be responsible for assuring that Pharaoh had only the finest of food and drink, he would also personally taste everything that Pharaoh would eat or drink, looking for poison!
Now Joseph is thinking that if the cupbearer mentions him to Pharaoh, perhaps Joseph can get out of prison. But as Genesis 40:23 states, the cupbearer forgot all about Joseph and he continued to be imprisoned for two more years. Those must have been some incredibly long years of waiting.
Joe Bayly writes about waiting and the hope for believers in his book, The Last Thing We Talk About. Please read this great story.
One Saturday morning in January, I saw the mail truck stop at our mailbox up on the road.
Without thinking, except that I wanted to get the mail, I ran out of the house and up to the road in my shirt sleeves. It was bitterly cold - the temperature was below zero - there was a brisk wind from the north, and the ground was covered with more than a foot of snow.
I opened the mailbox, pulled out the mail, and was about to make a mad dash for the house when I saw what was on the bottom, under the letters: a Burpee seed catalog. On the front were bright zinnias. I turned it over. On the back were huge tomatoes.
For a few moments I was oblivious to the cold, delivered from it. I leafed through the catalog, tasting corn and cucumbers, smelling roses. I saw the freshly plowed earth, smelled it, let it run through my fingers. For those brief few moments, I was living in the springtime and summer, winter past.
Then the cold penetrated to my bones and I ran back to the house. When the door was closed behind me, and I was getting warm again, I thought how my moments at the mailbox were like our experiences as Christians.
We feel the cold, along with those who do not share our hope. The biting wind penetrates us as them…
But in our cold times, we have a seed catalog. We open it and smell the promised spring, eternal spring. And the firstfruit that settles our hope is Jesus Christ, who was raised from death and cold earth to glory eternal.
If you have ever done some gardening, you will relate to the physical descriptions from above. This is the hope that helps the Josephs of the world survive. How great is our Lord! So open up your "seed catalog" and see what wonderful treats He has awaiting for those who believe in his salvation.
Blessings
Mark
posted by BreadBakers at 12:11 PM
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