Waiting Room

Lately I have been reading in the book of Genesis about Joseph. Almost all of us know the story how he was sold into slavery in Egypt and then thrown into a dungeon after being falsely accused of adultery. After Being thrown into jail, the chief butler and a baker to the Pharaoh were put in jail too. They both had a dream and Joseph, by the power of God, interpreted it. The butler's dream meant that he would be restored to serving Pharaoh. Joseph asked the butler to put in a good word for him to the Pharaoh telling him that he was falsely accused and then maybe the Pharaoh would let him out of jail. However things didn't go the way Joseph would have liked. Once the chief butler got out of prison, he forgot all about Joseph and his request.

Two years went by and Joseph was still in the dungeon. Then, the LORD gave the Pharaoh a dream that no one could interpret. However the chief butler finally remembered Joseph. Joseph was summoned before the king and he, again by the wisdom and power of the one true God, interpreted the dream. The meaning of the dream was that there would be seven years of plentiful harvest and crop for Egypt but after those years there would be seven more years of extreme famine. Joseph advised Pharaoh to put a good man in command of gathering a good amount of the harvest in the good years and saving them for the bad years. Pharaoh was so impressed with Joseph and his God that he made Joseph second in command of all of Egypt and gave him the task of planning and gathering for the famine. Because Egypt by the authority of Joseph stored up so much food when the famine days came, many nations came to Egypt for food including Joseph's family back in Canaan. Because Joseph's family was saved from this famine, the ancestrial line that the Messiah was to come through was preserved and we are all thankful for that!

While I was reading and studying this, the Lord opened my eyes to the fact that if Joseph had left the prison when he wanted he probably would have been released to wander back to his homeland. If that would have happened, Joseph's family would have all been killed and our hope for a Messiah would have died along with them. However, God had a btter purpose. He had Joseph stay in that jail so that he could be there when Pharaoh had his dream. In the end, Joseph was exalted and was used to save his people. God's ways were so much better and perfect than his. It's the same way with us. We may think our way is best but we must remember that God is all-wise and all-knowing. Isaiah 55:8-9 says,"'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,' says the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.'" He sees the futer and and holds the world in his hands. Think of what would have happened if Joseph would have had his way. Disaster would have occured. We need to keep in mind that God's ways are perfect and flawless and so much better than ours. We just have to wait on His timing and stay in the waiting room until He says we can go. The wait will always be worth it in the end. However we still have obligations in the waiting room. We still need to serve God and live for Him. If we are not faithful in God's waiting room than we will not see His best in our lives. No one has a better plan for you than God does. Keep following Him.