Waiting On God

Genesis 41:1, And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river.

When I first read this verse, I thought that this had nothing in that God could use to teach me.

Boy was I wrong. Let is what God has here for us today

What lesson do we have here about waiting on the Lord?

I.       How long should we wait on God to do something in our lives?

A.    Have you ever ask your self or wonder about it

B.    You have prayed and prayed so faithfully and nothing seems to happen.

C.    You might ask, were is God?

II.     Joseph was in prison for at least 2 years

A.    First of all Joseph brothers sold him off

B.    He than ends up in prison because Potters wife wanted him to go to bed with her and he would not do it

1.     He is there for at least 2 years

2.     Do you wonder if Joseph ask God were are you?

3.     We do know that he worked his way up to helping the Jailer

C.    During this time in prison Joseph interrupted two dreams

1.     One for a Baker and the other for a Cup bearer

a)     Joseph help both of them and ask them to remember him which we find in

2.     Genesis 40:14, But think on me when it shall be well with thee, and shew kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house:

a)     Put this never happened. Look in Gen 40:23

3.     Genesis 40:23, Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him.

a)     Nothing seems to be going Joseph’s way

D.    Finally the cup bearer remembers Joseph

1.     Back in Gen 41:9-14 the Cup bearer remember Joseph

a)     Two years has gone by sence he help the Cup Bearer

2.     Joseph keeps the faith all that time and never gave up on God and in -

a)     Genesis 41:14-16,14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh. 15 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it. 16 And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.

b)     Even than after all that time in prison Joseph kept the faith. He waited on God

c)     Joseph than goes on to become the most powerfull person in Egypt.

d)     Now lets look at what Joseph ends up saying to his brother at the end of all this

III.    Genesis 50:20, But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

A.    We look at things the wrong way

1.     Are we like Joseph’s brother and look at everything as bad or unfair

2.     We want it done right away

3.     We are too impatient

4.     And because of it we miss the blessing of God

B.    God on the other hand is faithful and long suffering

1.     God looks at things a different way than we do look in

a)     Genesis 45:8, So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

b)     God goes on in chapter 45 and brings the whole family down and gives them the best of everything

c)     All because Joseph waited on God

2.     He knows by waiting on God we get to know Him better and learn to trust in Him

3.     By God waiting, we get to learn more about Him as we learn to trust and obey as He works

Conclusion:

Joseph was sold into slavery and ends up in Potters house and from there goes to prison for 2 years, before he becomes second in command of Egypt

At this point you could say, he is living high on the hog. He is in the will of God.

Joseph waited on God, and we must learn the same lesson

Wait on God and learn to listen to what He is teaching us through this waiting period

And as we learn of Him we will fall deeper in love with him and our trust will grow

Sunday morning biker services 1/27/08