Now Joseph had a dream and he told it to his brothers, and they hated him still more.6 And he said to them, Listen now and hear, I pray you, this dream that I have dreamed:7 We [brothers] were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright, and behold, your sheaves stood round about my sheaf and bowed down!8 His brothers said to him, Shall you indeed reign over us? Or are you going to have us as your subjects and dominate us? And they hated him all the more for his dreams and for what he said.
I was reading the story of Joseph and how the Lord used him. Although he was only a teenager, the Lord gave him a prophetic dream. He showed him that his family would bow down to him. But when did that dream finally manifest itself in the natural? -Years later.
Joseph had to be prepared for that final position. But as you recall his jealous brothers decided to get rid of him, selling him to a passing caravan of traders. Then he was sold to Potiphar, did a great job managing his household, and was falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife of trying to molest her. He wound up in jail where he learned to manage the needs of the prisoners. Later he met two of Pharaohs’ workers and interpreted their dreams. Later he was called to appear to Pharaoh where he correctly interpreted his dream and was appointed to rule as next in command to Pharaoh. Joseph’s position as second in command allowed him to provide for his family in the time of famine.
Joseph was given a prophecy. But it was years before he saw it come to fruition.
Maybe someone has given you a prophecy. Relax and let the Lord plan out how things will go.
Our problem is that we are the Burger King generation. We want things now and we want it our way. But that is not how the Lord works. He prepared Joseph step by step for his final destination – second in command to Pharaoh. It took years.
Joseph knew the Lord was with him. He knew that he would be a leader. He just did not know when. The Lord was the one planning and bringing things into being.
We are on God’s timetable
The Lord has plans for your life too. I have noticed that I have learned and grown from every job I have had. Some of those jobs were difficult. Some good and some bad. But I have learned from each and every one of them.
So we learn to get on the Lord’s timetable – not ours.
We learn to be patient. The Lord is in charge of our lives.
Jesus is Lord!
