Trusting and Waiting

Did you know that if you live to be about seventy you will spend four percent of your life waiting. That comes up to around three years. Three years waiting on the microwave, the elevator, the stop signal, the cashier, and various other things. 

How much time do we spend waiting on God? Estimates by some scholars are that Joseph could have spent eleven or more years in prison. Unjustly sold as a slave. Falsely accused by Potiphar's wife. Unjustly sentenced. Eleven years! That is a long time to wait on God to answer prayer. 

In Genesis 40 two officials from Pharaoh's administration were thrown into prison. Both had dreams and Joseph interpreted both dreams. One would be restored and the other hanged. Joseph pleaded to the one restored to remember him and mention him by name to the King of Egypt. 

The one restored forgot Joseph altogether. While Joseph waited and hoped God would soon release him the cupbearer forgot Joseph. We learn in Genesis 41:1 that two full years passed while Joseph waited. Some of you reading this feel forgotten and forsaken like Joseph. It feels nobody remembers you or your plight. It may seem like even God has forgotten you. God has not forgotten. Though you may not be able to see what He is doing He is assuredly working behind the scenes in ways you could never fathom. 

You will have to wait to see what He us up to. We are exhorted to wait on the Lord in [Ps 27:14] and [Is 40:31]. In waiting we have to have patience. Another way to put it is we must have endurance, perseverance and steadfastness. These are admirable qualities until they are needed in our lives to get through periods of trials and waiting. 

We do not like to have to endure, to persevere, or to remain steadfast especially when it comes to waiting on God. We want Him to hurry up and come through for us now. Like the story of a man found pacing the room. When asked what troubled him the man responded, "The trouble is I am in a hurry and God is not!"

That's how many feel. I am reminded that God has not forgotten any of us. Just like He worked in Joseph's life even though it may not have looked like it, God orchestrated the circumstances of slavery and imprisonment to accomplish His purposes. God is doing the same for us. 

Who knows what things He is going to do just around the corner. Who knows what God will do in answer to our next prayer or how He will reveal Himself in our next quiet time. We do not know how He is aligning circumstances to open strategic doors. Until all of this comes to pass we must wait on God. The days of waiting are not easy. We will be tested. We may be tempted to lose heart. When we think we see the end in sight we may still have another two full years of waiting like Joseph had to wait before the cup bearer remembered him. 

The real question is how will we wait? Will we wait in frustration, impatient, and doubting or will we wait trusting in endurance and steadfastness. God knows what He is doing. So no matter how long it takes we must keep waiting and keep trusting.