Are you willing to wait? part 4

Joseph’s willingness to interpret their dreams means that he has not yet given up on his own dreams. Even though many years have passed and he has endured the pain of rejection, enslavement, false accusation, and imprisonment, down deep inside he still believes that one day God will cause those early dreams to come true. Otherwise, he would have said to the men: “My advice is to forget about those dreams. They don’t mean anything. I had dreams of my own once and look where I am now.” But he didn’t say that. And he doesn’t say: “Don’t worry, fellows. I’m an expert in dreams. I can figure this out for you.”

Rather than giving in to despair or relying on false optimism he points the men to God, saying: “Don’t interpretations belong to God?” (v. 8). His answer means something like this: “There is a God in heaven who gives dreams to people. He and He alone can explain the dreams you had.  I don’t have the answer in me, but I know the Lord and He can help you out.”
 

Joseph stood out among his own generation because he saw God’s hand everywhere! He had a big God and therefore he knew that being in prison was no hindrance to the Almighty. 

Did you know that God does some of His best work in prison? John Bunyan goes to prison and out comes “Pilgrim’s Progress.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer goes to prison and out comes “The Cost of Discipleship.” Chuck Colson goes to prison and out comes the worldwide ministry of Prison Fellowship. Friends, we serve a God who is not stopped by barbed wire and high walls! Your High Walls, whatever they may be, are not a barrier that can keep God from accomplishing HIS purpose in and through your life. Please, never forget that. Prison doors can never keep Him out.

Joseph’s example leads me to ask this question: “Are you ready to serve God right where you are; even when you’d rather be somewhere else?”
 

Be Bold

When you read Genesis 40, you discover that Joseph tells the cupbearer that he will be released in three days and restored to his former position (vs 12-13). No doubt the cupbearer was delighted to hear the news. Then Joseph adds a personal request in verse 14: “But when all goes well for you remember that I was with you. Please show kindness to me by mentioning me to Pharaoh, and so get me out of this prison” CSB.
 

While preparing this message, I ran across a Bible teacher who calls this a lack of faith on Joseph’s part. I don’t agree with that at all. If Joseph has been unfairly treated and if he’s not guilty, then why shouldn’t he seek his release? I know, if I were in prison and if a buddy of mine was about to get out, I would look to heaven and say, “Lord, Your will be done,” and then turn to my buddy and say, “Help me get out of here!”
 

In Joseph’s case, he truly hadn’t done anything wrong. On one hand, he is faithful and ready to serve God where he is. On the other hand, he doesn’t want to stay in prison forever. It’s as if he’s saying, “I’m here, but this is not my whole life. I accept where I am for the moment - but I hope to be set free eventually.” Two years later, this request will lead to his release. 
 

The whole episode reminds me of a scene from the movie Shawshank Redemption when Andy, who was falsely accused of murdering his wife and her lover, was talking with his friend, Red, in the prison yard. They were discussing Andy’s hope of getting out someday, when Red says, in essence, “You gotta give that up. Look at us. We’ll never get out of here.” Andy pauses for a moment and then says, “It comes down to a simple choice. Get busy living or get busy dying." Folk singer Joan Baez put it this way. “You don’t get to choose how you’re going to die, or when. You only get to choose how you’re going to live now.”
 

Not long ago I celebrated my 62nd birthday. That fact in itself is not notable (unless you want to buy me some coffee to help me celebrate),but it’s good to use your birthday as a means of taking stock of where you are in life. When a man turns 60, he becomes a philosopher of sorts. They say that 60 is the new 50 (which may be true), but it is not the new 30. When you turn 60, you can’t kid yourself anymore about where you are on your journey. I’m definitely closer to the end than to the beginning.

Last year, a friend sent me a note that said, “Birthdays are good for your health. The more you have, the longer you live.” As you can imagine, that really cheered me up. 

Continued tomorrow