I’ve been studying the life of Joseph for my devotions lately. Most of us grew up with the Bible stories–his coat of many colors, being sold by his brothers, falsely accused of molesting a woman and thrown into prison, interpreting the dreams, and finally becoming Pharaoh’s right hand until the story comes full circle and his brothers bow down to him.
So, I wasn’t sure exactly where this Bible study would take me, but the Delighting in the Lord series is well-written, so I was hopeful something would be applicable.
Let me give you a hint. So far, it’s been all about waiting on God’s timing. Anyone who has been following my blog any length of time know my constant struggles between waiting for God to show me what to do and…well…doing things.
So, when I started having to fill in answers for questions like: How is God using the circumstances in God’s life to demonstrate his sovereignty (paraphrased)? or Is there anything in the lesson about Joseph’s life that you can apply to your own waiting (not paraphrased)?, I started to look up and be like, okay, God. I get it.
Everything seemed to be going wrong in Joseph’s life. He was sold by his own brothers, wrongly accused, put in prison, and then, the guy whose dreamed he interpreted just forgets about him! How does that even happen? I’m pretty sure if someone told me something was going to happen and exactly that thing happened, it would be hard to forget. But no, Joseph had to sit in prison for two years…so that God could work everything in his perfect timing to give Joseph his best, instead of what he wanted in the moment.
On top of that, Hannah Brencher’s weekly newsletter the last two weeks was focused on two verses:
““Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland.” Isaiah 43: 18-19
I feel like the Bible study is like God tapping his foot and the newsletter verse was like Him finally just thwacking me. Yes, I know I’ve brought up this verse before with this same (or similar) struggle, but I’m only human! I need a reminder every once in a…few seconds or so.
So you aren’t published. So you don’t have a book contract. So most of your family thinks you are just wasting your time/life. Why do you keep dwelling on the past? On what your life would be like if you hadn’t followed my direction? What about what I am planning? I’ve done something completely new in your life, and you aren’t even seeing it. I took you from a corporate world, plopped you into your dream world, and you can’t even wait for my timing? Don’t you want MY best for you? What if my plan goes far beyond a simple book publication? Can’t you wait for me to place you where you are most needed?
And so on. Being human, of course, I know I’m going to continue to forget and struggle with this lesson, as I have off and on for the past two years, but you know what I really appreciate? That God keeps giving it to me anyway. He is a God of patience. Love. Understanding. And I hope He hits me over the head with this lesson every single time I forget it again.
Forest Idylls 