Have you spent much time thinking about Joseph’s life? You know the coat of many colors Joseph who’s story is found in the book of Genesis. What part of his story comes to mind most vividly? Do you think first about his reign in Egypt, or how he saved so many people from certain death during the famine, or maybe it is the intense reunion with his brothers that is your favorite part of the drama. All of those things to me define Joseph’s life. There is another part of his life though, that amidst all the glory we often over look. Have you ever pondered those seven years Joseph spent in prison? It is easy to not look at that too closely. Maybe it just doesn’t sound too bad to us after all he was well liked there and even got put in charge of the other prisoners. Honestly though would any of us like to spend seven years in prison under any conditions? Put yourself in Joseph’s shoes. The only ‘crime’ he had committed was to say no to sin now here he is stuck in prison who knows for how long of a stay. Don’t you think he must have wondered at least once what God was doing? Do you think he ever doubted the goodness of God’s plan for his life as year after year went by? Do you think he ever questioned if there even was a plan? So much of what we know of Joseph’s life is thrilling, triumphant, dramatic - obviously God ordained. But this? I mean why? What was God up to during those seven long years? What was the plan? Was He just storing Joseph in a safe place “I’ll be back when I need you just sit tight in the mean time” I don’t think so! So what…
Then there is Moses. What do we think about when pondering his life? Bulrushes, parting the red sea, manna, 40 years in the desert leading the Israelites…of course. But what about that part where he flees from Pharaoh and ends up spending a long time sheep herding in the wilderness. Sure great things were coming but Moses didn’t know that! Do you suppose he ever thought that God had abandoned Him? Or at least that there must no be much of a plan for his life? Anyway if Moses did not wonder I sure do! What was God doing? What good thing was buried in those many seemingly empty, unprofitable years?
Well truthfully I don’t know. I could venture a few guesses I suppose but that is all they would be, guesses, as easily wrong as right. What we can be confident about is that God was indeed doing something. Very probably that something was very important, iatrical in fact for, the later astonishing parts of these two men’s ministry. I also know that God tends to use similar tactics. You can search the rest of the Bible and find lots of other people who went through desert times. Why? because God got messed up on the time scale “oops you were born too soon, I won’t need you for another twenty years, so just stay put ’til I’m ready”? Because God only had plans for a portion of their life and the rest, well, just wasn’t important? No! No! No! Heaven forbid we should paint such a degrading picture of our amazing God out of our own frustration. If this is how we feel we don’t need a better plan for our life we need a more accurate view of God.
“Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in Your book and planned before a single one of them began.” Psalm 139:16
Not a few of my days - not some of your days - ALL Yes, even these wilderness days you are wandering in now.
“The Lord’s burning anger will not turn back until He has completely fulfilled the purposes of His heart. In time to come you will understand it.” Jeremiah 30:24
In time to come…but we don’t want that do we? We want to know now. Waiting, well, it’s not our strong point and what’s more we have trust issues. Take heart my fellow sufferers! No matter what your emotions may scream at you, you can be sure your wilderness is not empty. On the contrary it is a good indication that God has some amazing things in store for you. Are you ready?
Every time another saint becomes ill Job popularity stats must rise. In the record of his’ life we get an inside peak at heaven’s perspective on an earthly trial. Poor Job hasn’t a clue why all of these horrible things are happening to him, but God does. So does Satan for that matter. The heavenly hosts are watching, how will Job respond. Well at first Job is patient and chooses to trust His creator but eventually discouragement sets in. Listen to what Job says.
“As God lives, who has deprived me of justice, and the Almighty who has made my life bitter,” (Job 27:2) “If only I could be as in months gone by, in the days when God watched over me, when His lamp shone above my head,…when God’s friendship rested on my tent.” (Job29:2-4)
Sound familiar anyone? Is there any of us who has not cried something similar. Does God just take this accusation from Job. Does He agree through silence that He has indeed abandoned Job and deprived this his servant of justice. I don’t think so!
“Then the Lord answered Job from the whirlwind; Get ready to answer Me like a man;…Would you really challenge My justice?…” Job 40:7-8
How foolish to challenge God and His plans, to conclude in our ignorance that He has forgotten us or made a mistake. The book of Job shows us that there is so much of the picture we can not see.
Job response to God is “…Surely I spoke about things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.” Job 42:3
I know it is easy to do - but just don’t doubt God in your wilderness. Surround yourself with the truth. Read the lives of great men and women who have gone before us. Recognize their wildernesses. Search for the plan. Rejoice when God moves them on. Then trust their God, who is your God, to do the same for you.
