Unwavering Hope
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This morning we are picking back up in our Christmas series, and as I stated last week, when it comes to Christmas services messages, for me they tend to be the hardest to conduct and write.
And they’re hard, because from year to year Christmas never really changes. In other words, the story of Christmas is always the same.
And as a result, as December roles around, we already know what to expect and what we’re going to hear.
And the problem with that is, over time, the Christmas message can become so familiar, that for some people, the impact of Christmas gets lost due to its predictable and repetitive nature.
Last week I likened it to when a person flies on a commercial airline. Because whether you fly frequently or once a year, the experience is always the same.
For example:
Because we all know regardless of the which airline your flying on, before the plane takes off, the stewardess is going to demonstrate how to put the seatbelt on and what to do in the event of an emergency.
We already know once the plane has reached altitude, the stewardess is going to come around and ask what we’d like to drink.
We already know after we get our drink that the little snack bag is coming.
You see, even if you don’t fly very often, due to the predictive nature of a commercial flight, we already know what’s coming.
The same is true for Christmas. And honestly, that’s my concern, and the challenge I face each year as we begin our Christmas series. Because the last thing I want is for Christmas to become a predictable and repetitive message.
And so this year I decided to approach Christmas a little bit differently. To approach it in a way that I hope will give all of us a renewed and fresh perspective of the Christmas story.
And so, as I stated last week, as Christmas approaches, we’re going to look at four components of the Christmas story. Components that not only highlight the Christmas story, but components that represent the benefits and certainties that Christmas offers us.
Certainties that we need to understand and hold onto if we truly want to keep Christmas from becoming a predictable and repetitive time of the year.
So, to get us started, last week we looked at the first component. It was a component we labeled “Unshakeable Faith”.
Our text came from , as the writer of Hebrews defined what Biblical faith looks like. He writes:
1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
And what we learned from that text is that Christmas was never meant to be a predictive and repetitive holiday, but instead, a continued reminder of the promised faithfulness of God.
Because as we learned last week, the promise of Christmas
Because at the end of the day, that’s what Biblical faith is all about. It’s about putting your faith in a faithful God.
We saw this through the story of a man named Abraham. A story the writer of Hebrews highlights and that is found in .
A promise that was made by God to a man named Abraham back in . A promise that one day God would provide a redeemer for mankind. A promise that God came through on nearly 2000 years later through the birth of Jesus.
A story where God made a promise to Abraham. A promise that one day, through Abraham’s offspring, God would provide a redeemer to save mankind from his sin. A promise that one day He would provide Christmas.
And the good news for all of us is that God came through on that promise. A promise that was fulfilled through the birth of Jesus on Christmas morning.
So, what that means then is, if we want to put our faith in something secure, we need to put it in the faithfulness of God.
Because that’s what Christmas is all about. It’s about God fulfilling His promise. It’s about God showing us that He can be trusted. That He is a God of faithfulness.
And that’s what Christmas is all about. It’s the ultimate example of the faithfulness of God. A God who is always true to His Word.
Because at the end of the day, that’s what faith is. It’s you and I putting our faith in the faithfulness of God.
And so if you want Unshakeable faith in your life, that’s where it starts. It starts by putting your faith in the faithfulness of God. Faith in a God that always comes through. Faith in a God that always keeps His Word. Faith in a God, that when all seemed lost for mankind, He came through on His promise of Christmas.
And so if you want Unshakeable faith in your life, that’s where it starts. It starts by putting your faith in the faithfulness of God. Faith in a God that always comes through. Faith in a God that always keeps His Word.
But that’s not all Christmas provides. Because with“Unshakeable Faith” also comes “Unwavering Hope”.
Let me show you what I mean. Going back to the passage in , listen again to what the writer tells us:
1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
The writer says, “Because of the faithfulness of God, we now have the assurance of things hoped for...”
In other words, since God is a faithful God, a God we can trust, we can now have “Unwavering Hope”.
Meaning, regardless of what our situation is or circumstances are, we can be certain that God will be true to His word no matter what. That’s the kind of hope we can have.
And that’s amazing news...But there’s a challenge that comes with that news.
The challenge, is while God will always be faithful to His Word, His faithfulness doesn’t always happen in the way we think it should or on the timeline we’d prefer.
Have you ever noticed that? Have you ever noticed that in the midst of faith, in the midst of trusting the faithfulness of God, sometimes it doesn’t feel like God is being very faithful. In fact, it feels the opposite.
For example, maybe you decided to step out in financial faith and tithe. You decided to trust where God promises to provide financial blessing for those who give 10% back to Him.
But for whatever reason, it doesn’t seem to be working. Because even though your tithing, your financial situation hasn’t changed. You’re still struggling as much as you were before you started tithing. In fact, it almost feels like your financial situation has gotten worse.
And now your starting to question the faithfulness of God. Now your losing hope. Because what you hoped for financially doesn’t seem to be panning out.
Or maybe you’ve been trusting God for healing. You’re holding onto the promise where James says:
14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
But for whatever reason, it feels like your prayers are falling on deaf ears. Because you’re still sick. The cancer is spreading. The doctors haven’t change their prognosis. And now your wondering where God is at in all this. You’re starting to lose hope.
Or maybe you’ve been trusting God when it comes to your kids. You’re holding onto the promise of where Solomon writes:
6 Train up a child in the way he should go;
even when he is old he will not depart from it.
But if you’re honest, you’re losing hope. Because the more you pray, the further your kid seems from God. The more you pray, the less they want to go to church. The more you pray, the more trouble they seem to get into.
And now you’re losing hope. Now you’re questioning the faithfulness of God.
And we could go on. Because the fact is, we’re all trusting God for something. We’re all hoping that God will come through and be true to His Word in some aspect of our lives.
But if we’re honest, at the same time, we’re losing hope. We’re questioning God’s faithfulness. We’re trying to understand why God isn’t responding in the way we thought He should and in the time frame we hoped He would.
Is it because I’m not trusting God enough? Is it because I lack faith? Did I say the prayer wrong? Did I forget to dot an “i” or cross a “t”? Why hasn’t God come through on His promise. Why do I feel like my hope is wavering?
And as a result, instead of having “Unwavering Hope”, our Hope is Wavering.
I mean, if Christmas offers “Unwavering Hope”, then why hasn’t God coming through? Why hasn’t he answered? Why does it feel like nothing is changing? Why hasn’t God been true to His Word?
I think if we’re honest, at some point we’ve all felt that way. It’s possible you even feel that way today.
I think if we’re honest, at some point we’ve all felt that way. It’s possible you even feel that way this morning.
Becuase if you’re honest, instead of having “Unwavering Hope”, our Hope is Wavering.
So, what’s the deal? Why does it seem that God hasn’t or isn’t being faithful?
What I’d like to suggest to you this morning, is that despite how you feel, or regardless of your situation, that God hasn’t stopped being faithful. That’s not the problem.
The problem is in your understanding of hope. Because while we often equate hope with a feeling or an ideal outcome, hope is often a process.
A process that doesn’t always play out in the way we hoped for or on the time table we’d hoped it would.
But what we have to understand, is that hope is a process of trust.
Trusting that regardless of what our circumstances presently say, God is and will be faithful to what He’s promised, even if it’s not happening in the way we thought or hoped it would.
And so, in order to illustrate what “Unwavering Hope” means and how you can have such hope in your life, I want to focus on a part of the Christmas story that goes back once again to the book of Genesis.
Because as we learned last week, while Christmas took in a stable in a town called Bethlehem, the promise of Christmas is found in the book of Genesis through a man named Abraham.
But instead of focusing in on Abraham again, today we are going to look at one of Abraham’s decedents, a young man named Joseph.
And when I say Joseph, I’m not talking about Joseph in the Christmas story. I’m talking about a Joseph that lived long before that in .
Now, you might be wondering, “What does the OT story Joseph have to do with Christmas?”
Well, without going into a lot of detail, the story of Joseph is a foreshadow of the hope that Christmas offers. In other words, prophetically speaking, Joseph is what Bible scholars call a type of Christ. Meaning, he represents God’s future promise and displays that promise.
In fact, there are more than 100 parallels between the story of Joseph in and the story of Jesus.
Now, obviously, we don’t have time to explore all of those connections today, but it’s important to note that Joseph has everything to do with Christmas. And that it’s his unwavering hope that keeps the promise of Christmas alive and moving forward.
Because as we’re going to see, it’s Joseph’s Unwavering Hope that keeps the promise of Christmas alive and moving forward.
And through the story of Joseph, I have two goals this morning.
And so through the story of Joseph, I have three goals this morning.
Goal #1 - To once again highlight the faithfulness of God on our journey towards Christmas.
Goal #2- To show you what Unwavering Hope looks like on that journey.
Goal #3 - To help you obtain and maintain Unwavering Hope in your life through a 4 step process.
So, to get us started, we are going to go to where the story of Joseph begins.
But, before we get started, I need to point out that the story of Joseph is an extensive story that covers several chapters in the book of Genesis.
So, obviously we won’t be able to cover it all in detail. Which means I’m going to summarize most of the story as we go along, and then we will focus in on certain parts that relate to our topic today.
With that said, to get us started, I want to begin by giving you several facts about Joseph that will get us on our way:
Fact #1 -
Fact #1 - Joseph was the son of Jacob, which makes him Abraham’s great, great grandson.
Fact #2 - Joseph is one of 12 brothers that represent the 12 tribes of the future nation Israel.
Fact #3 - Joseph is the favored son of of his father Jacob. A favoritism that Jacob doesn’t hide. In listen to what the writer tells us:
3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors.
Israel is another name for Jacob, Joseph’s father.
Genesis 37:5-
Genesis 37:9-
Fact #4 - Because he was the favored son, Joseph’s brothers hated him. In verse 4 we read:
4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him.
So, as you can see, it’s all ready setting up to be an interesting story.
Fact #5 - In his teenage years, God gave Joseph a future promise and a future hope.
And it’s a promise that came by way of two dreams that Joseph had. Beginning in verse 5 we read about those dreams:
5 Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more. 6 He said to them, “Hear this dream that I have dreamed: 7 Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.” 8 His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.
So, that’s dream #1, and as you can see, it didn’t set well with his brothers. Because in the dream, Joseph’s brothers are bowing down to Joseph.
Now for dream #2. Check this out. In verse 9 we read:
9 Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10 But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?” 11 And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.
Joseph now dreams that not only are his brothers bowing down to him, but his mother, father, and brothers. And again, it wasn’t recieved well.
So, what’s going on here? Is Joseph having illusions of grandeur? Did he drink too much wine the night before? What’s going on with these dreams?
What’s going on is that God is making some promises to Joseph. Promises that Joseph is so confident about, that he’s willing to claim them and share them with people who obviously wouldn’t agree with what he’s saying. Because after all, they seem ridiculous and far fetched.
But isn’t that just how the promises of God often work? I mean think about it.
In , God promises that if we give him 10% of our income, He can do more with the 90% that’s left than we can do with the 100%. How does that work?
To be honest, there are people who would think you were crazy if you told them that. In fact, I know people in our church who have been criticized for tithing and giving money to the church.
When it comes to Christmas, in , God said the promised redeemer, Jesus, would be born of a virgin. The prophet Isaiah writes:
14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Seems far fetched doesn’t it? That a woman who has never had sex could get pregnant? But that’s what God said would happen, and it did.
The fact is, often times the promises of God seem unrealistic, far fetched, and wishful thinking at best.
And as a result, when we claim those promises in our lives or we put our hope in those promises, it tends to draw criticism from others.
People who criticize you for putting your hope in God’s healing.
People who criticize you for trusting God with your finances.
People who criticize you for making the Bible the guide for your life.
And let’s be honest, that can be discouraging. Which leads us to the first step we need to take in obtaining and maintaining “Unwavering Hope”.
Step #1 - In order to obtain and maintain UNWAVERING HOPE, I can’t let the discouragement of others detour me from God’s promises.
The fact is, when you start putting your hope in God’s promises, you can expect resistance. And the resistance will come from two different fronts.
The first attack will come from people in your life that you least expect it from.
For Joseph, it was his brothers and his father. All of them ridiculed and rejected the promise God had made to him. They dismissed it as illusions of grandeur.
And unfortunately, the same will be true for us as well.
For example, typically when people come to faith in Jesus and the promise of salvation, it is often met with criticism from friends and family. Happens all the time here at MCF.
And to be honest, it shouldn’t surprise us. Because Jesus said that would happen. Jesus says this:
21 Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, 22 and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
I know individuals, who have claimed the promises of God for a troubled marriage, only to be criticized by family and close friends for staying with their spouse.
I know individuals who have claimed the financial promises of God, only to be criticized by others because they give money to the church.
I know individuals who have claimed healing in their life, only to be discouraged and criticized by others for believing the God might heal them.
The fact is, when you put your faith in Jesus and begin to walk in the promises of God that come through faith in Him, criticism and rejection will come. The Apostle Paul says it like this:
12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,
But what we can’t do is let the criticism discourage or detour us from trusting in God’s promises. Because as Paul says in 2 Corinthians:
20 For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.
Paul says in Jesus, the promises of God come to fruition.
Meaning, if your holding onto a promise in God’s Word or you’re holding onto a promise that you believe the Lord has given you, don’t let the discouragement and doubt of others rob you of your HOPE.
I know for me personally, years ago, I felt like God told me I would one day work for a certain pastor, a pastor that was highly respected and regarded in our denomination.
People who criticize you for trusting God with your finances.
But to be honest, when God put that hope in my heart, I hadn’t even been to Bible College yet. And even for me it seemed kind of crazy. But it became a hope I believed in.
But I’ll never forget, at one point in Bible College, I remember telling a close friend about my hope, and he kind of snickered and scoffed at it. Made fun of it. And he told me it was wishful thinking.
But I didn’t let his words discourage me, and I held on to the promise that I believed God had given me.
Fast forward a few years, and I was serving under that pastor, and served and grew under his leadership for 10 years.
So, unfortunately, that’s one place the attack on your hope will come from. From those closest to you.
But there’s another place that attack will come from, and it’s one of a more spiritual nature. Because whether you believe it or not, there is a real devil out there working to destroy the hope God has given you. The Apostle Peter puts it like this:
8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
People who criticize you for making the Bible the guide for your life.
That being the case, when a person puts their hope in the promises of God, you can be sure the enemy is going to work hard to discourage and destroy that hope. And that is exactly what happened to Joseph.
Because in the days following Josephs’s dream, the enemy went to work.
And it happened one day as Jacob sent Joseph on an errand to check on his brothers who were out pasturing a flock of sheep. An errand that would change the course of Joseph’s life. Listen to what happened next:
Genesis 37:17-20
37:17-20
17 And the man said, “They have gone away, for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’ ” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.
18 They saw him from afar, and before he came near to them they conspired against him to kill him. 19 They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer. 20 Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. Then we will say that a fierce animal has devoured him, and we will see what will become of his dreams.”
While it doesn’t specify it here, later on in the story we will find out that this was the intentional attack by Satan to destroy God’s plan for Joseph. An attack the enemy orchestrated through Joseph’s brothers.
And based on what Joseph’s brothers are about to do, it would appear that God’s promise to Joseph is about to come to an end.
Genesis 37:
Because at this point Joseph’s brothers are planning to put Joseph and his dreams to death.
So, what happens next? Do they kill him? No, but they do something just as wicked. Because after binding him, they decide there isn’t any profit from killing him, so they decide to sell him to some passing merchants. In verse 27 we read:
27 Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him. 28 Then Midianite traders passed by. And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt.
Not cool, right? To sell your own brother into slavery.
And if that’s not bad enough, in order to cover it up, they decide to tell their father that Joseph had been killed by a wild animal. Listen to how they orchestrated it. In verse 31 we read:
31 Then they took Joseph’s robe and slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. 32 And they sent the robe of many colors and brought it to their father and said, “This we have found; please identify whether it is your son’s robe or not.” 33 And he identified it and said, “It is my son’s robe. A fierce animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces.”
And now it would appear that all hope is lost for Joseph and God’s plan for his life has come to an end.
And that’s exactly what the enemy wants us to think. Because that’s his tactic.
Because he knows better than anyone that God is always faithful, and so his only avenue of attack is to try and trick you into thinking that God isn’t faithful.
And so he does his worst to orchestrate circumstances in your life to discourage you and detour you from putting your hope in God’s promises.
As a pastor, I see it all the time.
For example, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had someone say to me, “Pastor, I started tithing and trusting God financially, but then my car broke down, my refrigerator stopped working, an unexpected bill showed up, or I lost my job. Pastor, I’m not sure this tithing deal works.”
So, why isn’t it working? Is it because God isn’t financially faithful?
No. What I’d like to suggest to you, that more than likely It’s the enemy. He doesn’t like that your trusting God financially, so he’s trying to discourage you. He’s trying to detour you. He’s trying to convince you that you can’t trust the financial faithfulness of God.
I see it in troubled marriages, as a spouse begins to trust God for their marriage, and then all of a sudden, the marriage gets worse, the counseling doesn’t seem to be helping, and the fighting and discord intensifies.
Why? Is it because God isn’t being faithful to heal that marriage? No. It’s because the enemy is doing his worst to detour you from trusting God. He’s trying to convince you that God isn’t going to be faithful in your situation. He wants you to give up on your marriage and the promises of God.
And please hear me, I’m not saying that if you trust God with your marriage that your marriage is always going to work out. The fact is, it takes two people trusting God for the marriage to be saved.
What I”m saying though is the enemy will do everything he can to convince you that God can’t heal your marriage. He doesn’t want you to have any hope.
I see it as well when people put their faith in Jesus, as in the days that follow the enemy begins to attack. Trying to discourage them. Trying to detour them. Trying to take away the hope that God has given them.
You see, that’s how the enemy works. He hates that your trusting in the faithfulness of God, and so he’s going to do everything he can to discourage and detour you from your hope.
And that’s why you can’t let the criticism, discouragement, and attack of others detour your from God’s promises.
This then leads to a second step we need to to take, and I would state it like this:
Step #2 - In order to obtain and maintain Unwavering Hope, I have to remain faithful and obedient to God’s Word.
If we fast forward to , the writer tells us after being sold into slavery in Egypt, Joseph was bought by an Egyptian man named Potiphar, who was the captain of the guard for Pharaoh. A high ranking official.
We also learn that over time Potiphar came to value Joseph and saw that Joseph’s God was with him and that everything he did succeeded. And so Potiphar put him in charge of his entire household. In verse 3 of chapter 39 we read:
4 So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him, and he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had.
3 His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord caused all that he did to succeed in his hands. 4 So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him, and he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had.
This tells us a couple of things about God and about Joseph.
First, it tells us that even though it seemed all had been lost for Joseph, God had not abandoned him. How do we know? We know because apparently God’s hand is so much on Joseph’s life that a pagan Egyptian recognizes that God is with him.
Second, it tells us that despite his circumstance, Joseph remained faithful and continued to trust God. In other words, he didn’t let his circumstance destroy his hope. He kept trusting and serving God regardless.
But not only was Joseph faithful too God’s Word, he was obedient as well. And we see that in what happens next, because Potiphar wasn’t the only one who noticed Joseph. Listen to what the writer tells us in verse 7.
7 And after a time his master’s wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, “Lie with me.” 8 But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, because of me my master has no concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything that he has in my charge. 9 He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?”
Genesis 39:7
Apparently Joseph was a looker and caught the eye of his masters wife. And from what the writer tells us, she wasn’t bashful in telling Joseph what she wanted. And you can be sure, she would have been a tempting prize because as the captain of the guard, Potiphar would have had his pick of a wife.
But Joseph is a man of integrity and obedience. And so while it would have been appealing and easy, he refuses her offer and declares that he won’t sin against his God.
So, what’s going on here? Why is this happening?
What’s going on is the enemy is once again trying to detour Joseph from God’s plan and promise. But this time, instead of trying to discourage him, he’s trying to tempt him into doing something that would destroy the promise and hope that God had given him. He wants him to sin against God.
And that’s exactly what the enemy tries to do in our lives as well. The fact is, when discouragement doesn’t work, temptation isn’t far behind.
Here’s how it works. When we trust God or put our hope in his faithfulness, and things don’t go the way we hoped they would, it’s easy to give up on God and give yourself to what the world offers instead.
As a pastor, I see it happen all the time to people. They come to church, they have an experience with God, things get better for awhile, and then the enemy attacks and tries to discourage their faith. And in the midst of the discouragement he tempts them to return to the old life. He tempts them to give up on God and give themselves once again to their sinful passions and desires.
And it’s a tempting road to take. Because most times it’s a temptation that offers familiar, offers instant gratification, and promises happiness.
But it’s a trap. A trap to destroy God’s plan in your life and remove the hope God has given you.
If I’m honest, this is where I see a lot of Christians lose hope. And they lose it because they fall for the lie that the world can offer what God can’t.
18 Come, let us take our fill of love till morning;
let us delight ourselves with love.
19 For my husband is not at home;
he has gone on a long journey;
20 he took a bag of money with him;
at full moon he will come home.”
21 With much seductive speech she persuades him;
with her smooth talk she compels him.
22 All at once he follows her,
as an ox goes to the slaughter,
or as a stag is caught fast
23 till an arrow pierces its liver;
as a bird rushes into a snare;
he does not know that it will cost him his life.
It’s a lie the enemy has been whispering in the ear of mankind since he whispered it into Eve’s ear in the Garden of Eden. The lie that God has abandoned you, He doesn’t want what’s best for you, and so you’d be better take matters into your own hands and put your hope in something else. Something that can satisfy your fleshly hopes and desires.
And so, instead of trusting God’s faithfulness, they go back to an old set of friends, back to the alcohol, back to sexual immorality, back to a life that promises a quick fix and temporal happiness. But it’s a trap, and it doesn’t lead to life, it leads to death. The writer of Proverbs puts it like this:
25 There is a way that seems right to a man,
but its end is the way to death.
Joseph could have done that. He could have taken the bait. But the results would have been catastrophic. Because he would have been found out, he would have been executed, and as we’re going to see here in a moment, the promise of Christmas would have come to a screeching halt.
But Joseph didn’t give in to the temptation. He resisted. He kept his hope in God’s promise , remained obedient, and he didn’t waiver from his faith.
And the same will be true for you and I. But for that to happen, we have to remain faithful and obedient to God’s Word. When life goes sideways, when it seems hopeless, when God’s promise and plan seems distant, we can’t buy into the lie that God has abandoned us. We have to remain faithful and obedient to God’s Word.
This leads us to a third step, and I would state it like this:
Step #3 - In order to obtain and maintain Unwavering Hope, I have to trust God’s timeline.
Here’s what we need to understand about trust and obedience, unlike the quick fix that sin offers, trust and obedience function on an entirely different time frame.
Let me explain it like this. If sin is a microwave, trust and obedience are more like a crockpot.
One offers an instant meal that isn’t the healthiest and won’t taste the best. The other offers fresh ingredients that over time produce a healthy, satisfying and tasty meal. But it’s a meal you have to wait for.
That’s how trust and obedience work. They doesn’t always produce quick results. Instead, they put us in a place where God can develop us and prepare us for the right moment where he will show and work his faithfulness in our lives.
We see this in the life of Joseph. Because after being obedient too God’s Word and refusing the temptation to sleep with his masters wife, Potiphar’s wife lied and claimed attempted rape, and Joseph got thrown into a crock pot. Listen what happens next:
19 As soon as his master heard the words that his wife spoke to him, “This is the way your servant treated me,” his anger was kindled. 20 And Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined, and he was there in prison.
Genesis 39:19-
It would appear that Joseph’s obedience didn’t go well for him. That by doing the right thing, he ended up in the wrong place.
But what I would submit to you, is that his obedience put him exactly where God needed him to be. In a place where God could further develop him and prepare him for the right moment when the promise he had made to Joseph as a young man would finally come to fruition.
And that’s exactly what happened. Because while we don’t have time to read the story in its entirety, God hadn’t abondoned Joseph. Intead he was preparing him. The writer tells us this:
Genesis 39:
21 But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
And in the years that followed, Joseph became known in the prison as a man who heard from God. A man who could interpret spiritual matters.
through a series of circumstances Joseph once again rose to the top becoming the best prisoner the prison had ever had.
And then the day of promise finally came. And it came as the Pharaoh of Egypt had two dreams that nobody could interpret. But somebody told him about a man named Joseph. A man in Pharaoh’s own prison who was known as an interpreter of dreams.
And so Pharaoh sent for him. And in that moment Joseph did what nobody else had been able to do as God gave him the interpretation for Pharaoh’s dream. An interpretation that foretold a coming famine. An interpretation that allowed Joseph an opportunity to give Pharaoh some wise counsel for the coming crisis. Counsel that would put Joseph in a position of prestige and power.
And a day came when Pharaoh had dream, a dream nobody could interpret.
The writer tells it like this in :
37 This proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants. 38 And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?” 39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are. 40 You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command. Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you.” 41 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.” 42 Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand, and clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain about his neck. 43 And he made him ride in his second chariot. And they called out before him, “Bow the knee!” Thus he set him over all the land of Egypt.
Genesis 41:37-
In a moment, when all seemed lost, Joseph went from the prison to the palace. And not only that, but the promise that God made to Joseph so many years ago would finally come true. Because as Joseph led Egypt through the famine crisis, people from all over the land came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, and wouldn’t you know who showed up as well. Listen to how the writer describes it in Genesis 42:
Genesis 42:6-
6 Now Joseph was governor over the land. He was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed themselves before him with their faces to the ground.
8 And Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. 9 And Joseph remembered the dreams that he had dreamed of them. And he said to them, “You are spies; you have come to see the nakedness of the land.”
Genesis 42:
When all hope seemed lost, God came through as the promise of God unfolded right in front of Joseph’s eyes.
No, it didn’t happen in the way Joseph thought it would. It didn’t happen on his timeline. But it did happen, because God is always faithful to His Word, even when it would appear all hope has been lost.
And what was true for Joseph, is true for your situation. Because if you’re holding onto the promise of God, then you are holding on to an Unshakeable faith and an Unwavering Hope.
Which leads us to the final step. Step that we all have to be willing to take if we want God’s Unwavering Hope in our lives.
Step #4 - In order to obtain and maintain Unwavering Hope, I have to keep my eyes on Christmas.
If we read on we’d discover that Joseph and his brothers reconciled their relationship, and Joseph’s entire family, including his father, came to live in Egypt. And for many years they would live and prosper under Joseph’s care.
But as the years went on, the day came when Jacob, Joseph’s father died. And in their father’s death, the brothers once again became fearful that Joseph might take revenge on them. And so they went to him begged forgiveness and shared their fear. Listen to how Joseph responded in :
Genesis 50:19-
19 But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? 20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.
As the brothers share once again share their remorse and fear with Joseph, Joseph looks back on his life, and he recognizes that all along this had been God’s plan.
A plan to put his family in a place where they could continue to prosper and grow. A plan to keep the promise of Christmas made to Abraham alive.
He recognizes that what the enemy had meant for evil, God meant for good.
Hebrews 12:1-
And we too can have that same hope, but for that to happen, we have to put our eyes on Christmas.
Because when all seemed lost God sent a savior ahead of us, and when it appeared the enemy had won the day, God came through on His promise, and he lifted Jesus up and gave him power and authority to save. The writer of Hebrews puts it like this:
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
You see, just like Joseph provided forgiveness and hope for his brothers and the future nation of Israel, Jesus provides it for us as well. A hope that we can stand fast in. A hope that is Unwavering. A hope that is found through faith in Him. A hope that is found in Christmas. A hope you can have today if you’re willing to put put your hope and trust in Him.
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At the end of the day, faith becomes unshakeable when it’s founded on the faithfulness of God.