Faith and Patience
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Jeremiah 29:11
God has a plan for everyone, and if we are patience and keep following Christ, He will reveal his plan for us. He has given us talents for his plan, and sometimes we want know the talents until we have faith to do what he has called us to do, and he will develop our unknow talents. We need patience for Christ to implement his plan in our life.
God had a plan for Joseph, Jacobs second youngest son, and it took thirteen years of developing Josephs talents to fulfill God’s plan for him. And God’s plan for Joseph was successful, because Joseph called on the God for every step of his thirteen years, not knowing what the outcome would be. The story of Joseph is found in Genesis 37, 39 -50. The story starts when Joseph was seventeen and ends when Josephs dies.
So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt. (Genesis 37:28) Joseph was seventeen at this time, and his brothers were considerable older. Joseph was Jacobs favorite son and his brothers hated Joseph, so they sold him to the Midianite merchants as they we were traveling to Egypt. Joseph was now a slave heading to Egypt.
Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard. (Genesis 37:36) Joseph is now in a foreign land, doesn’t speak the language, and is sold to the captain of the guard. And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand. (Genesis 39:3) Even though Joseph was a slave in a foreign land, he still worshipped God and put his faith in His hands.
No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God? (Genesis 39:9) Potiphar’s wife wanted Joseph but he refused, and she lied and Joseph ended up in prison. So he took Joseph and threw him into the prison where the king’s prisoners were held, and there he remained. (Genesis 39:20) Joseph did the right thing and refused Potiphar’s wife, and he ended up in prison because of the lies told by Potiphar’s wife.
God was with Joseph, and he becomes second in command of all Egypt. He saves Egypt from a seven-year famine, and he saves Jacob and his family from the famine. All of Jacobs family moved to Egypt. Jacob’s family is the totality of the Israelites at that time. And it was Joseph that God used to save them. Joseph had faith, but he had to have patience because it took thirteen years to reveal the plan God had for his life.
Today be faithful to the Lord and be patience, for he will fulfill his plan in your life just like he did with Joseph.
Prayer: Father, help me to remain faithful and to be patience, because I know you have a divine plan for me. In Jesus name, Amen