Faithful Waiting: Lessons from Joseph's Imprisonment

Devotional

Day 1: Faithfulness in the Small Things

Joseph remained faithful to God even in prison, earning the trust of the prison guard and being put in charge of other prisoners. His faithfulness in small daily tasks laid the groundwork for his future. Similarly, our daily routines and small acts of faithfulness are seeds for our future. Joseph's story reminds us that even in the most challenging circumstances, our faithfulness in the little things can lead to greater responsibilities and blessings. By being diligent and trustworthy in our everyday tasks, we honor God and prepare ourselves for the opportunities He has in store for us. [47:57]

Luke 16:10 (ESV): "One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much."

Reflection: What small task or responsibility in your life can you approach with greater faithfulness today, trusting that God sees and values your diligence?

Day 2: Hope in the Silence

Joseph did not lose hope even when the cupbearer forgot about him. He trusted that God was still with him, despite the silence. The presence of silence does not mean the absence of God. We must hold on to the promise that God will never leave us or forsake us. In our own lives, we may experience periods where it feels like God is silent, but these times are opportunities to deepen our trust in Him. By maintaining hope and faith, we can navigate through these silent seasons with confidence that God is still at work. [54:50]

Isaiah 30:15 (ESV): "For thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, 'In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.'"

Reflection: Think of a time when you felt God was silent. How can you remind yourself of His presence and promises during similar times in the future?

Day 3: Proactive Faith

While waiting, Joseph took proactive steps to seek his release by asking the cupbearer to remember him. Even in times of waiting, we should continue to serve God and look for ways to honor Him. Waiting is not a time for idleness but for active faith. Joseph's bold move to ask for help shows that we can take steps of faith even when we are in a holding pattern. By being proactive, we demonstrate our trust in God's plan and our willingness to participate in His work. [56:39]

James 2:17 (ESV): "So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead."

Reflection: What is one proactive step you can take today to move forward in an area where you are waiting on God?

Day 4: Trusting God's Timing

Joseph's story reminds us that God's timing is perfect. He is never late but rarely early. We often want immediate answers, but God answers at just the right time. We must trust in His timing and continue to be faithful and hopeful. Understanding that God's perspective is far greater than ours can help us to be patient and trust that He knows the best time for everything. By surrendering our timelines to Him, we can find peace and assurance in His perfect plan. [44:46]

Ecclesiastes 3:11 (ESV): "He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end."

Reflection: Reflect on a situation where you are struggling with impatience. How can you surrender this to God and trust in His perfect timing?

Day 5: Spiritual Growth in Waiting

Times of waiting can be some of the greatest periods of spiritual growth. Just as Joseph grew in his relationship with God during his imprisonment, we too can use our waiting periods to draw closer to God, deepen our faith, and prepare for the future He has planned for us. These seasons are opportunities to develop patience, trust, and a deeper understanding of God's character. Embracing the growth that comes from waiting can transform our perspective and strengthen our spiritual walk. [01:01:38]

Romans 5:3-4 (ESV): "Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope."

Reflection: How can you use your current waiting period to grow closer to God and develop your character? What specific practices can you incorporate into your daily routine to facilitate this growth?

Sermon Summary

### Summary

Good morning, everyone! Today, we delved into Genesis 40, focusing on Joseph's time in prison and the lessons we can learn from his period of waiting. Joseph, falsely accused and imprisoned, found himself in a situation where he had no choice but to wait. Despite his dire circumstances, Joseph remained faithful to God, hopeful for the future, and proactive in his actions. He interpreted the dreams of Pharaoh's cupbearer and baker, which eventually laid the groundwork for his own release, even though he had to wait two more years after the cupbearer forgot about him.

Waiting is a significant part of our lives, and it can be incredibly challenging. We often find ourselves waiting for various things—health diagnoses, job opportunities, personal relationships, or significant life decisions. During these times, it’s easy to feel discouraged and wonder where God is. However, Joseph's story teaches us that God's delays are not His denials. God uses these periods to build our character and prepare us for future tasks.

We must learn to wait well. This involves being faithful in our daily routines, staying hopeful despite the silence, and continuing to move forward in our relationship with God. Joseph's faithfulness in prison, his hope in God's promises, and his proactive steps to seek his release are powerful examples for us. Even when life doesn't make sense, and we feel trapped, we must remain faithful, hopeful, and active in our faith.

###

Key Takeaways

1. Be Faithful in the Waiting: Joseph remained faithful to God even in prison, earning the trust of the prison guard and being put in charge of other prisoners. His faithfulness in small daily tasks laid the groundwork for his future. Similarly, our daily routines and small acts of faithfulness are seeds for our future. [47:57]
2. Stay Hopeful Despite Silence: Joseph did not lose hope even when the cupbearer forgot about him. He trusted that God was still with him, despite the silence. The presence of silence does not mean the absence of God. We must hold on to the promise that God will never leave us or forsake us. [54:50]
3. Keep Moving Forward: While waiting, Joseph took proactive steps to seek his release by asking the cupbearer to remember him. Even in times of waiting, we should continue to serve God and look for ways to honor Him. Waiting is not a time for idleness but for active faith. [56:39]
4. God’s Timing is Perfect: Joseph's story reminds us that God's timing is perfect. He is never late but rarely early. We often want immediate answers, but God answers at just the right time. We must trust in His timing and continue to be faithful and hopeful. [44:46]
5. Waiting Can Lead to Spiritual Growth: Times of waiting can be some of the greatest periods of spiritual growth. Just as Joseph grew in his relationship with God during his imprisonment, we too can use our waiting periods to draw closer to God, deepen our faith, and prepare for the future He has planned for us. [01:01:38]
### [61:38]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[28:15] - Announcement: Back to Church Sunday
[28:57] - Importance of Growth and New Service
[30:09] - Invitation and Barbecue Details
[30:50] - The Agony of Waiting
[31:40] - Introduction to Genesis 40
[32:28] - Joseph’s Predicament
[32:59] - Joseph’s Uncertainty
[33:41] - Reading Genesis 40
[34:54] - Joseph’s Leadership in Prison
[35:38] - Interpretation of Dreams
[36:28] - Joseph’s Request to the Cupbearer
[37:22] - The Baker’s Dream
[38:02] - Fulfillment of Dreams
[38:52] - Joseph’s Continued Waiting
[39:33] - The Challenge of Waiting
[41:42] - Life’s Waiting Periods
[43:11] - The Reality of Waiting
[44:46] - God’s Timing
[45:19] - How to Wait Well
[45:53] - Be Faithful
[47:57] - Joseph’s Faithfulness
[49:55] - Daily Routine and Faithfulness
[50:33] - Honoring God in the Waiting
[51:33] - Faithful Living
[52:19] - Stay Hopeful
[53:08] - Joseph’s Hope
[54:50] - Silence and God’s Presence
[55:33] - God’s Promises
[56:09] - Keep Moving
[56:39] - Joseph’s Bold Move
[57:18] - Serving God in the Waiting
[58:01] - Personal Testimony
[59:04] - Pray and Work
[59:25] - Be Still and Know God
[60:02] - Personal Story of Waiting
[61:38] - Spiritual Growth in Waiting
[62:15] - God’s Work in Prisons
[63:52] - Get Busy Living
[65:52] - Prayer and Encouragement
[69:23] - Invitation for Prayer
[77:38] - Baptism and Closing Remarks

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

What were the circumstances that led Joseph to be in prison? ([31:40])
How did Joseph demonstrate faithfulness while he was in prison? ([47:57])
What was Joseph's request to the cupbearer after interpreting his dream? ([36:28])
How long did Joseph have to wait after the cupbearer was released before anything changed? ([38:52])

Interpretation Questions

How might Joseph's faithfulness in small tasks have prepared him for future responsibilities? ([47:57])
What does Joseph's continued hope in God, despite his circumstances, teach us about maintaining faith during difficult times? ([54:50])
How can we understand the concept that "God's delays are not God's denials" in the context of our own lives? ([44:46])
In what ways can waiting periods lead to spiritual growth, as seen in Joseph's story? ([01:01:38])

Application Questions

Reflect on a time when you had to wait for something significant. How did you handle the waiting period, and what did you learn from it? ([39:33])
Joseph remained faithful in his daily routines even in prison. What are some small, daily acts of faithfulness you can commit to in your current situation? ([47:57])
How can you stay hopeful in times of silence or when it feels like God is not answering your prayers? ([54:50])
Joseph took proactive steps to seek his release by asking the cupbearer to remember him. What proactive steps can you take in your current waiting period to honor God and move forward? ([56:39])
God's timing is perfect, even if it doesn't align with our own. How can you cultivate trust in God's timing in your life? ([44:46])
Think of a current situation where you feel "trapped" or in a "prison" of waiting. How can you use this time to grow spiritually and draw closer to God? ([01:01:38])
Joseph's story shows that waiting is not a time for idleness but for active faith. What specific actions can you take this week to serve God and others while you wait? ([56:39])

Sermon Clips

### Quotes for Outreach

1. "We want to just get as many people here as we can. Because here's why. There's another thing going on that day. And that is we're going to then be launching our third service. We're going to move to three services, have new service times. And this is important. I know some people are going, why are we going to three services? Because we want to keep growing. We've been growing. Our attendance has even been pretty steady through summer. Usually things dip a little in the summer. But, man, it's been strong and steady. And we want to keep growing. We don't want to run out of space. So we're going to do another service. And we want you to just keep bringing people. And let's see more and more people come to know Jesus." [28:57] (40 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "Maybe you're waiting for what's going to happen with your job. Maybe you're waiting for a job to open up. You're waiting for a promotion to open up. Maybe you guys have been wanting to get pregnant. You've been wanting to have a baby, but it just hasn't happened yet. You're just waiting. God, when's this going to happen? Maybe you're hoping that your husband or your wife is going to finally just have their eyes open to changes they need to have in their life because the way they've been doing things or their attitude has just been tearing you apart. And you're just waiting for that change to happen." [40:17] (42 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "The presence of silence does not mean the absence of God. I know sometimes when we're in a time of waiting, man, it can feel like God has abandoned us. It can feel like he doesn't care about us. But don't lose hope. Don't lose hope because God has promised you he will never leave you, that he will never forsake you. Stay hopeful. Be hopeful knowing that if you keep your eyes on God, you keep following God, you will end up, right where God wants you. He will work out something good for you." [54:50] (38 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "Waiting is one of the hardest things that we have to do as Christians. It's one of the hardest things that we do as Christians. Most of us hate to wait. I know I hate to wait. But the chance, many of us right now, many of you here, you're waiting for something right now. You're in a time of waiting right now. Maybe you're waiting for a health diagnosis for yourself or maybe for someone that you love. Just what's going to happen? How's it going to turn out? Are they going to be okay? Am I going to be okay? Is this going to be serious or not? And you're just waiting." [39:33] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "God's delays are not God's denials. Did you catch that? God's delays are not God's denials. I've heard it said this way too. God is never late, but He's also rarely early. Right? He's never going to be late, but He's not early either. We want Him to be early. We want it now. We want that answer now. We want the direction now. We want things to be clear now. He's like, I'm going to come at just the right time. I'm going to answer you at just the right time. I'm going to have things come together at just the right time. We want it early. We want it now. He's never late, but He's rarely early." [44:46] (47 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

### Quotes for Members

1. "Joseph was in the position to oversee these prisoners because he was faithful. He was put in leadership among the prisoners. The guard didn't have to worry about anything that was put under Joseph's care. Why? Because Joseph proved himself. He proved himself to be trustworthy as he continued to be faithful to God. And because of that, God continued to bless him. Now to understand this, how amazing this is, you've got to consider Joseph's perspective. Okay? Think about this. What would you do if you were falsely accused and unjustly imprisoned? What would you do if people you trusted turned against you? What would you do if your dreams seemed to be just crumbled, just turned to ashes all around you? What would you do if you were forced to wait and wait and wait to see how things were going to turn out? Joseph chose to stay faithful to God." [48:52] (56 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "Faithful living, faithful living is a stepping stone to a better and brighter future. Just staying faithful. Living faithful to God. Those are the stepping stones to a better and brighter future. So here's a question for all of us. Will we stay faithful to God in the middle of the waiting? Will we stay faithful to God right where we are even when life doesn't make sense? Will we stay faithful?" [52:19] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "While waiting in prison, Joseph not only remained faithful in honoring God as a prisoner, he not only stayed hopeful in interpreting the dreams of those other prisoners, but he did what he could to get released from his bogus imprisonment. Like, I don't know what I'm going to do what I can to get out. I want to be out. So he did what he could. Listen, sometimes when you're in a waiting period, God's saying, just sit still. I want you to sit still. He wants you to stop. Sometimes he wants you to stop trying to take control of the situation. Stop trying to take everything into your own hands. However, at the same time, when we're in a time of waiting, God wants us to keep moving. Even while we're sitting still, he wants us to keep moving. We got to keep serving him right where we are. We got to keep serving him right where we are. Keep looking for ways to boldly honor him right in the middle of your waiting." [57:18] (67 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "The secret of your future is found in your daily routine. The secret of your future is found in your daily routine. The things you do every day, especially the little things, they make up the routine of your life. Those are the seeds of your future that you sow every day. Those little things you do. And how you do them every day, you're sowing seeds for your future. You think, oh, that doesn't matter. This is a little thing. I can cut a corner here. I can compromise there. No, though, you're sowing seeds for your future. The things you do today help determine your tomorrow." [50:33] (37 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "Waiting is hard. It's hard. Waiting on God is hard. But today I want to challenge you, if you're in a time of waiting or any time you are in a time of waiting, make it a time of living, not dying. Make it a time of living, not dying. To make it a time where you'll be faithful to God. You'll continue to be faithful where you'll stay hopeful and you'll keep moving. You'll keep moving forward. In some aspect of your relationship with God, you keep moving. It's not a time to be dead. It's not a time to throw up your hands and just go, well, it's over. Get busy living instead of getting busy dying." [01:03:52] (44 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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