September 10, 2023 | Zach Schlegel
Passage: Genesis 41:1-57
Waiting is difficult and frustrating. As the days, weeks, and years go by without the answer, it becomes an even heavier burden. What gives you hope when you have to wait? When you are left waiting, has the seed of hope shriveled? We can wait so long that we get to the breaking point, wanting an answer, regardless of what it is.
This is where we see Joseph in Genesis 40. He is in prison, waiting. The basis of his hope was that God was with him. What if you are stuck waiting in the darkness of the trial that you are in? What happens if God doesn’t seem to move? You are left to wait. That, in itself, can be a whole different form of suffering.
This text ends with Joseph still stuck in prison, forgotten by the cupbearer. We know that he will be released in chapter 42, but all Joseph could see were the prison walls and the shackles. How could he trust God when he felt forgotten? How can you trust God when you feel forgotten? When God’s people feel forgotten, they trust God who is at work for their good.
Sermon Outline
1. Scene One: Bloom where you are planted. Vs. 1-8
2. Scene Two: A Glimmer of Hope Vs. 9-19
3. Scene Three: Hope Deferred Vs. 20-23
Series Information
