The Dream Feels Dead |03.02.25|Made For More pt.5

[INTRO]

What do you do when the dream that you thought God had promised feels impossible?

You remember when you were younger, and you had a hope. You had a vision for how your life would turn out.

Maybe you even thought God was leading you towards something: an incredible marriage, a career that mattered, a life that felt full of purpose.

But then something happened, and it feels like the door has been slammed shut.

You thought you’d be happily married by now…but you’re not.

You thought that job was finally the break you needed…but it wasn’t.

You stepped out in faith, believing God had a plan…but now it sure doesn’t look like it.

And the hardest part? You did everything “right.” You prayed, you trusted, you waited… But instead of an open door, all you see are roadblocks.

Instead of God’s blessing, you feel stuck. And God feels far away.

That’s exactly where Joseph found himself.

Joseph had a dream, literally. He had a vision that he would be in a position of leadership and influence and purpose. But instead of a straight line to success, his life took a detour into disaster.

Betrayed by his own brothers. Sold into slavery. Wrongfully accused and thrown into prison.

If anyone had the right to say, “God, what happened to the dream?”—it was Joseph. Everything in his life screamed that the dream was dead.

But here’s the thing: just because a dream looks dead doesn’t mean God is done.

And that’s where patience comes in.

Today, as we continue our Made for More series on the Fruit of the Spirit, we’re talking about patience—not just the everyday kind of patience, like waiting in line at Walmart or dealing with slow drivers. We’re talking about the kind of patience that trusts God when the waiting feels unbearable.

Joseph’s story isn’t just about dreams—it’s about trusting God’s timing when the dream feels impossible. It’s about believing that God is still working, even when you can’t see it. It’s about holding on when everything in you wants to give up.

Because sometimes, the dream has to die before God resurrects it. And real patience means trusting that God is still writing the story.

So if you’ve ever felt stuck in the waiting—like the dream is gone, like God forgot about you—don’t miss this. Because the waiting isn’t wasted, and patience isn’t passive. It’s an active trust that God’s not done yet.

[REF]

So open your Bibles with me to Genesis chapter 37, which can be found on p26 in your black, seat-back Bibles. And I really encourage everyone to open up a Bible, because we are going to be reading A LOT today to get this whole story overview. I’ll try to put as much of it as I can on the screen, but following along on your own will be super helpful for you, even if it’s using Bible.com on your phone so that you can get bigger text size.

As you’re finding Genesis 37, this is going to be the story of Joseph, which I’m assuming is familiar to everyone, just because it’s one of the most dramatic stories in the whole Bible, and it’s been told and retold so many times in the church and outside the church, even becoming a Broadway musical about a technicolor dream coat.

However, we’re going to be reading almost all of his story, because I’m positive that there are details in here that you have forgotten or never knew, and I think God wants to teach us something about patience, and our perspectives on our pain and our journey, and how God’s plan for us is still bigger than we could even imagine.

So as we start reading, keep those Bibles open, because we’re going to be going through a lot of text and talking about it as we go. We pick up with Jacob, also called Israel, the grandson of Abraham. He had twelve sons, which became the twelve tribes of Israel, and his 11th son, Joseph is just now 17 years old. Let’s start in Genesis 37:3…

[GEN 37:3-4]

Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his children because he was the son of his old age, and he made him a long robe with sleeves. 4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him.

So we meet Joseph, our main character, who is unfairly favored by his dad, and that brings jealousy and hate from his older brothers. And your Bible might have a note that says the phrase “long robe with sleeves” can also be rendered “coat of many colors,” which is how many people are traditionally familiar with it. But we’re not sure what that means, if it’s literal, or a metaphor, but most likely it refers to the type of uniform that management would wear, instead of manual workers, which just reinforces the image that Joseph has been favored by his father and has been made responsible over his older brothers, (which is not winning Joseph any points.)

[GEN 37:5-8]

Once Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. 6 He said to them, “Listen to this dream that I dreamed. 7 There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright; then your sheaves gathered around it, and bowed down to my sheaf.” 8 His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Are you indeed to have dominion over us?” So they hated him even more because of his dreams and his words.

Joseph starts off already disliked by his brothers, and then he has dreams which make it seem like he’s going to be bowed down to by his whole family. But sharing these dreams with them just leads to even more jealousy and anger and distrust.

His brothers really want to knock him down to size, like the Japanese proverb that says, “The nail that sticks up gets hammered down.”

The story continues and Joseph’s dad sends him out to check on his brothers while they are travelling around with the flocks. So the younger brother heads out to do a performance review on his siblings.

[GEN 37:18-20]

They saw him from a distance, and before he came near to them, they conspired to kill him. 19 They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer. 20 Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits; then we shall say that a wild animal has devoured him, and we shall see what will become of his dreams.”

Dang. The brothers hate his guts so much that they are actually plotting to KILL him. But one brother, Reuben, says “no, just haze him.” And our text tells us it’s because Reuben planned to rescue him later and bring him back to his dad. Maybe just because he felt bad for him, or maybe because he wanted to be the one to win brownie points with dad.

[GEN 37:23-28]

So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the long robe with sleeves[b] that he wore; 24 and they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it.

25 Then they sat down to eat; and looking up they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels carrying gum, balm, and resin, on their way to carry it down to Egypt. 26 Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? 27 Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and not lay our hands on him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers agreed. 28 When some Midianite traders passed by, they drew Joseph up, lifting him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt.

So the brothers rip his robe off, throw him in a pit, and then get the bright idea to SELL HIM to travelling merchants as a slave. I mean, these brothers REALLY wanted to get rid of this kid.

This isn’t like some sibling rivalries in most of our families. These brothers grabbed this teenager, probably beat him up, ripped off his manager’s uniform that he got for being “daddy’s favorite guy”, and then sold him, never to see him again. Not even caring if he would be beaten, abused, die from mistreatment, whatever.

And it wasn’t even for lots of money, either, because twenty pieces of silver would have been maybe a year or two’s salary, but this family was wealthy. And when you divided it up among ten older brothers, it would’ve been maybe a month’s salary.

A month’s salary, to never see your little brother again, not caring if he died. You don’t need to say anything, but some of you are thinking that wouldn’t be that bad of a deal!

[GEN 37:31-36]

Then they took Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a goat, and dipped the robe in the blood. 32 They had the long robe with sleeves[c] taken to their father, and they said, “This we have found; see now whether it is your son’s robe or not.” 33 He recognized it, and said, “It is my son’s robe! A wild animal has devoured him; Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces.” 34 Then Jacob tore his garments, and put sackcloth on his loins, and mourned for his son many days. 35 All his sons and all his daughters sought to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted, and said, “No, I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.” Thus his father bewailed him. 36 Meanwhile the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard.

Well, now they’ve gone past the point of no return. Joseph is gone, and so they’ve got to figure out some way to lie to dad. Goat’s blood and a ripped up robe do the trick, and Jacob mourns the death of his favorite son, probably thinking it’s his own fault for sending him out to catch up with his brothers.

Meanwhile, Joseph is sold as a slave in Egypt, 150 miles away from home. Now, skip down to chapter 39 with me to keep going with Joseph’s story…

[GEN 39:1-6]

Now Joseph was taken down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there. 2 The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man; he was in the house of his Egyptian master. 3 His master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord caused all that he did to prosper in his hands. 4 So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him; he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had. 5 From the time that he made him overseer in his house and over all that he had, the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had, in house and field. 6 So he left all that he had in Joseph’s charge…

The Lord was WITH Joseph. Even when it seemed like everyone else was AGAINST Joseph, God never left him. In fact, God caused him to prosper and blessed his work. The son who hadn’t done any manual labor in his life is now a menial slave, but is experiencing blessing with whatever he works on.

And the master notices, and gives him a little more responsibility, which Joseph handles well and displays even more blessing from God, and so the master elevated him. But, as it turns out, the master isn’t the only one who is keeping his eyes on Joseph…

[GEN 39:6-18]

Now Joseph was handsome and good-looking. 7 And after a time his master’s wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, “Lie with me.” 8 But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, with me here, my master has no concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything that he has in my hand. 9 He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except yourself, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” 10 And although she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not consent to lie beside her or to be with her. 11 One day, however, when he went into the house to do his work, and while no one else was in the house, 12 she caught hold of his garment, saying, “Lie with me!” But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside. 13 When she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled outside, 14 she called out to the members of her household and said to them, “See, my husband[a] has brought among us a Hebrew to insult us! He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice; 15 and when he heard me raise my voice and cry out, he left his garment beside me, and fled outside.” 16 Then she kept his garment by her until his master came home, 17 and she told him the same story, saying, “The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought among us, came in to me to insult me; 18 but as soon as I raised my voice and cried out, he left his garment beside me, and fled outside.”

The master notices Joseph and wants to give him more responsibility. The wife notices Joseph and wants to take him for herself. But Joseph, out of gratitude to his master, and loyalty to his master, and also…out of his faith in God…says no.

So even after everything he went through with his brothers, he’s still holding on to the faith he was raised with.

But the wife won’t take no for an answer, and she ends up trying to grab him, but only gets his robe. Then she calls in the servants, makes a whole to-do, and waits for her husband to get home so she can cast Joseph as a villain.

[GEN 39:19-20]

When his master heard the words that his wife spoke to him, saying, “This is the way your servant treated me,” he became enraged. 20 And Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined; he remained there in prison.

I’ve just got to say, this husband hears that some slave boy made a pass on his wife, and he doesn’t just immediately kill the guy? Either God’s favor protected Joseph, or the guy didn’t fully believe his wife.

In any case, Joseph is thrown into prison.

And we need to just recap for a second: The favored son is hated by his brothers.

They rip off his robe and throw him in a pit, sparing him from being murdered.

Then he’s sold into slavery, and feels like his life is over.

But THEN…he’s the favored SLAVE, and he rises up in responsibility, and is desired by his master’s wife.

She rips off his robe, and he’s thrown in jail, being spared from being executed.

And now he’s rotting in jail, and feels like his life is over.

And if I was Joseph, I would be SO. DONE. with God. How could you let this happen to me? I was riding high! You gave me dreams of being in charge!

But my brothers ruined it. Then I worked hard, and it seemed to turn around…but then my master’s wife ruined it.

Where were you, God? How could you abandon me like this?

If I was Joseph, that’s how I would be feeling. BUT THEN…

[GEN 39:21-23]

But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love; he gave him favor in the sight of the chief jailer. 22 The chief jailer committed to Joseph’s care all the prisoners who were in the prison, and whatever was done there, he was the one who did it. 23 The chief jailer paid no heed to anything that was in Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper.

[blank]

The favored son has transformed to the favored slave, and NOW he’s the favored prisoner. And this crazy roller coaster of a life shows us that it’s not about OUR plan for our life. It’s about God’s presence.

Patience isn’t about waiting for God to give us OUR plan. Because every single one of us knows that this up and down journey for Joseph was NOT his ideal plan or career path!

But God was WITH him, and gave blessing to the work he was doing, even in the middle of something that was not Joseph’s plan.

**Some of you listening – are struggling with patience, because you’re waiting for God to show up in the way YOU think. You’re waiting for God to deliver YOUR plan.**

But what if the delay isn’t denial? What if God’s plan is different from your plan? Will you respond with fear, or with discontent, or with anger? Or will you recognize that it’s not about our plan…it’s about God’s presence.

[Patience means…]

Some of you need to hear that patience means trusting God, even when life is unfair or unclear. Patience doesn’t mean we wait for God to show up in OUR way and OUR timing. Patience means learning to TRUST GOD.

And do you know what you GET when you allow God to grow patience in you? You might NOT get your plan, but when you allow God to grow patience in you, you always get more time with God, more opportunities to see God work.

[GEN 40:1-8]

Some time after this, the cupbearer of the king of Egypt and his baker offended their lord the king of Egypt. 2 Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, 3 and he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison where Joseph was confined. 4 The captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he waited on them; and they continued for some time in custody. 5 One night they both dreamed—the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison—each his own dream, and each dream with its own meaning. 6 When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were troubled. 7 So he asked Pharaoh’s officers, who were with him in custody in his master’s house, “Why are your faces downcast today?” 8 They said to him, “We have had dreams, and there is no one to interpret them.” And Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me.”

Joseph has been in prison for “some time” now. And he’s been entrusted with authority in the jail. He’s not chained to a wall, but he’s given autonomy to take care of tasks and care for the other prisoners.

And so we see Joseph not using his authority to force anything on others. He’s SERVING with his authority. And even at the end here, when he points to God as the only interpreter, he’s using his authority and servant-heart to point to God.

Then the cupbearer tells Joseph his dream, and it’s all about being back with Pharoah and giving him his drink. And Joseph interprets the dream to mean that in three days, Pharaoh will call him back and reinstate him to his job.

And Joseph asks the cupbearer, “please, when you’re back in your job, please remember me and put in a good word for me.”

Then the baker tells Joseph his dream, and it’s all about birds eating food out of a basket on his head. And Joseph interprets the dream to mean that in three days, Pharaoh will call HIM back, and will have him hanged.

[GEN 40:20-23]

On the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, he made a feast for all his servants, and lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants. 21 He restored the chief cupbearer to his cupbearing, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand; 22 but the chief baker he hanged, just as Joseph had interpreted to them. 23 Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.

[GEN 41:1]

After two whole years, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing by the Nile…

TWO WHOLE YEARS?!?!!! Like, what? I mean, I know I just said that patience means trusting God, even when life is unfair, but, come on!...Two years?! But it reminds me of this great quote:

“time is the best teacher; patience is the best lesson” ― Ernest Yeboah

And it seems like Joseph is being given tons of TIME in order to learn from God. And so, after two years have passed, and he’s now wondering if the cupbearer has forgotten him forever, and if he’s going to spend the rest of his days in a jail, waiting upon the other prisoners, that’s when Pharaoh has a dream.

And it’s a crazy dream, all about fat cows getting eaten by skinny cows, and plump ears of corn being swallowed up by skinny ears of corn, and Pharaoh wakes up and is troubled, so he calls all his wise men and sorcerers and magicians and asks them to tell him what the dream means. But they can’t do it. No one can.

THAT’S when the cupbearer all of sudden remembers there was this guy in prison who totally interpreted HIS dream correctly. So he tells Pharaoh…

[GEN 41:14-16]

Then Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was hurriedly brought out of the dungeon. When he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came in before Pharaoh. 15 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” 16 Joseph answered Pharaoh, “It is not I; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.”

So Joseph points back to God’s abilities, instead of his own again, and then he proceeds to interpret Pharaoh’s dream. The healthy cows and corn signify 7 years of abundant harvest in the land. But the gaunt cows and corn signify 7 years of drought afterward. So Joseph suggests that Pharaoh collect the extra harvests for the next 7 years in order to store up enough food for the people to be able to survive the drought that will come after.

[GEN 41:37-43, 46]

The proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants. 38 Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find anyone else like this—one in whom is the spirit of God?” 39 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. 40 You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command; only with regard to the throne will I be greater than you.” 41 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.” 42 Removing his signet ring from his hand, Pharaoh put it on Joseph’s hand; he arrayed him in garments of fine linen, and put a gold chain around his neck. 43 He had him ride in the chariot of his second-in-command; and they cried out in front of him, “Bow the knee!”[b] Thus he set him over all the land of Egypt…

…46 Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

[blank]

So we have followed Joseph from being the favored son who is a dreamer, and he gets attacked and sold by his jealous brothers.

Then he becomes the favored slave who is given responsibility and demonstrates his integrity, but he gets slandered and thrown in prison.

Then he becomes the favored prisoner who serves and INTERPRETS dreams, and he gets forgotten and left behind.

But God was WITH Joseph in the waiting. And he’s called in to interpret Pharaoh’s dream and all those years of overseeing Potiphar’s house and overseeing the care and administration of the jail has given him wisdom to share a plan with Pharaoh to ensure the safety of the people.

Have you thought of that? All the things Joseph went through were INVALUABLE to how he was able to govern all of Egypt later on.

And in turn, Pharaoh lavishes all these blessings on Joseph. He’s given power, authority, responsibility, a wife, and he even has two kids. One is named “forgetful”, because God has given him so many joys that he can forget all the hardship he’s endured. And the second is named “fruitful” because God has given him incredible blessings in the land of his misfortunes.

We have seen already that patience means trusting God, even when life is unfair or unclear. But we have also learned that Patience means being PREPARED by God for his greater plan and purposes.

I said it before: just because a dream looks dead doesn’t mean God is done.

What if the very thing that feels like a setback is actually a setup? What if the delay isn’t denial? What if God is still working, even when you can’t see it?

Because the 17 year old Joseph, with his dreams of authority, was not READY to have that authority. And our story doesn’t say that God CAUSED all these things to happen to Joseph. It doesn’t say that God caused the brothers to be awful and jealous and murderous. But even when all these things happened to Joseph, God didn’t abandon him. God was WITH him in the waiting. And God’s presence IN the pain is what grew Joseph’s faith in God. It’s what helped him grow in patience.

[Growing in Patience…]

We can see that growing in patience takes the focus off our pain and points us to God’s plan. And when you’re in a dark season, that doesn’t mean that God has abandoned you. It just means that your expectation of your plan or timing is different from what has happened.

And it’s an invitation to press in to God, to allow him to use the waiting to help you grow in Patience. It’s an invitation to spend the time WITH God, to look for more ways that he’s working in the waiting.

But I do need to pause and give a quick pastoral note here: We are seeing some incredible principles from the life of Joseph, but YOU are not Joseph. This story ISN’T a metaphor for your life. It’s not a promise that God will exalt YOU over your enemies.

The story of Joseph shows us what God is like, that he’s ABLE to work through ANY circumstance to bring about his plan for redemptive love.

And…the story of Joseph isn’t over yet!

[GEN 42:1-20]

When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you keep looking at one another? 2 I have heard,” he said, “that there is grain in Egypt; go down and buy grain for us there, that we may live and not die.” 3 So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt. 4 But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he feared that harm might come to him. 5 Thus the sons of Israel were among the other people who came to buy grain, for the famine had reached the land of Canaan.

6 Now Joseph was governor over the land; it was he who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed themselves before him with their faces to the ground. 7 When Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he treated them like strangers and spoke harshly to them. “Where do you come from?” he said. They said, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.” 8 Although Joseph had recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him. 9 Joseph also remembered the dreams that he had dreamed about them. He said to them, “You are spies; you have come to see the nakedness of the land!” 10 They said to him, “No, my lord; your servants have come to buy food. 11 We are all sons of one man; we are honest men; your servants have never been spies.” 12 But he said to them, “No, you have come to see the nakedness of the land!” 13 They said, “We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of a certain man in the land of Canaan; the youngest, however, is now with our father, and one is no more.” 14 But Joseph said to them, “It is just as I have said to you; you are spies! 15 Here is how you shall be tested: as Pharaoh lives, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here! 16 Let one of you go and bring your brother, while the rest of you remain in prison, in order that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you; or else, as Pharaoh lives, surely you are spies.” 17 And he put them all together in prison for three days.

18 On the third day Joseph said to them, “Do this and you will live, for I fear God: 19 if you are honest men, let one of your brothers stay here where you are imprisoned. The rest of you shall go and carry grain for the famine of your households, 20 and bring your youngest brother to me. Thus your words will be verified, and you shall not die.” And they agreed to do so.

[blank]

And so Joseph, who hasn’t seen his brothers in about 15 years, is the one who is providing for them to survive the drought, but he wants to know if the 12th brother is being mistreated like he was.

So he sends them all back, minus Simeon, with grain (AND all their money by the way). So he’s making sure that all their families aren’t starving, AND he’s doing it for free.

And then there is this crazy exchange where the brothers need to convince their father to release Benjamin in order for them to spring Simeon, who is still imprisoned back in Egypt.

Jacob is afraid and won’t allow it. He’s lost his one son, and now he’s afraid he’ll lose his youngest. But they run out of grain and finally have to convince him to let them bring Benjamin with them for the second trip to Egypt to get food.

This time, they bring double the money, because they thought the free food was a mistake the first time, and they try to pay the extra, but Joseph’s steward says, “No, you’re good.”

Then they have dinner with Joseph, and he seats them in order of age, from oldest to youngest, and that amazes them.

And then Joseph devises this whole plan to frame Benjamin with stealing a silver cup, and he sends everyone off with a bunch of food and hides the cup in Benjamin’s stuff. Then they chase them down after they have left, make a whole show of “discovering” the cup, and take Benjamin back as a prisoner.

And the brothers are freaking out because if they go home without Benjamin, their father is literally going to die from grief. So they go back to plead for Benjamin’s release.

And I think Joseph is either trying to get some time with the kid brother he never knew, or he’s testing the older brothers to see if they have changed at all, or if they are willing to just leave Benjamin behind.

But in any case, they come back, they plead with Joseph, and Joseph can’t take it any more, and he breaks down and tells them who he is. They are flabbergasted at first, but he’s hugging them and crying and asking about his father, is he still alive?!

And Pharaoh hears that Joseph’s family is there, and instead of sending tons of food with them, he just says, bring your whole family to live here! They will be honored in our land and taken care of, because Joseph is the one who has ensured that all of Egypt has food and has remained strong among the nations during this drought.

And so all twelve brothers and their father and their families all relocate to Egypt together. And it’s all because Joseph was given authority over all of Egypt and has rescued the whole country and his family because of how God was working through the circumstances.

And we get to the end of the story with this incredible part. Joseph’s dad has died, and then the brothers freak out that NOW is when Joseph will get his revenge on them, and they come to him and beg him to have mercy on them, and this is what he says…

[GEN 50:19-20]

But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid! Am I in the place of God? 20 Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today.

Even though you intended to do harm to me, God USED IT FOR GOOD.

There’s no way that Joseph had any of those plans when he was younger. How many of us, when we were 17, perfectly predicted how our lives would turn out?

Did you PLAN on all the ups and downs? Did you plan all the changes and transitions? Did you plan all the heartache and loss?

Did you know how God would work THROUGH your pain to still accomplish his plan?

When we get too focused on OUR plan, our timing, our hopes that aren’t being met yet… We experience a lack of peace, a lack of patience.

But when we focus on God’s PRESENCE, he grows patience in us. And patience helps us learn to trust God’s timing and plan.

Joseph didn’t know how it would all turn out. When he was in the pit, when he was in prison, when he was waiting year after year… he had no idea what God was doing behind the scenes.

But now, looking back, he can say with confidence: "What you intended for harm, God intended for good."

[Reflection Questions]

And the same is true for you.

You may not see it yet. You may still be in the waiting. But God is working in the waiting.

And even more than that—God is WITH you in the waiting.

So maybe today, instead of demanding answers, you just need to rest in God’s presence.

Maybe instead of rushing ahead, you need to trust God’s timing.

Because when we focus on our plan, our timing, our pain—we lose peace. But when we focus on God’s presence, he gives us patience.

And patience is how we learn to trust the God who never wastes a season.

And because of the spirit of God at work in us, and because of the work of Jesus giving us his life and resurrection, we GET TO hold on…stay faithful. God is not done writing our story. Isn’t that good news?