Disappointed: Day Three

I hope that you have been thinking about our lesson yesterday. It is vitally important that we look at the cross instead of our circumstances when determining how God feels about us. Otherwise, we wind up on a circumstantial roller coaster that is driven by our emotions. We cannot base our theology on things that are temporal, material or earthly. We must find our root in the eternal, unchanging character of a holy God as defined on the pages of scripture.

One thing I want to emphasize before we begin today is this: You can never underestimate the power and authority of scripture in your life! It says in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness; so that the woman of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” How can the breath of God not change us? It brought life to Adam’s lifeless body! What more can we need in life than teaching, reproof, correction and training? It is all contained in the Bible. You cannot improve on God’s word! Furthermore, it promises to make us complete and equipped for every good work. Jesus knows if there is one thing that I ask for on a regular basis it is to be equipped for all that He has called me to do. But, it doesn’t happen by osmosis! We have to be diligent about searching the scriptures daily, committing verses to memory so that “the word of God is near to you, in your heart and in your mouth, that you may observe it” (Deut. 30:14)

Well, poor Joseph! If it isn’t one thing then it’s another! Sold into slavery unjustly and now accused of sexual assault by his boss’s wife! The world would say he could definitely use a change of luck or fate just isn’t on his side! Joseph, however, didn’t see things according to his circumstances but he kept entrusting himself to Him who judges righteously. Rather than seeking exoneration from men, he continued to trust God for his deliverance. Unfortunately, just when it seemed that things couldn’t get any worse….

Read Genesis 40: 1-23

Who were the two officials now imprisoned with Joseph?

Who was to be released and who was to be hanged?

What did the cupbearer do in v. 23?

I have to take a minute to point out something that struck me as funny while I was reading this chapter. It says in verse 7 that Joseph asked these men “Why are your faces so sad today?” Ha! Nevermind the fact that they were in prison and likely to be hanged at any minute! When you are preparing the Pharaoh’s food and drink you better be above board all the time, if not, that could mean disaster for both you and Pharaoh! Can’t you just picture Joseph as the guy who is the eternal optimist? If you are like me( the opposite of the optimist) you almost hate to see these people coming – especially when you’ve had a bad day! There is a difference between encouragement and you-just-don’t-get-it-do-you? I think Joseph got it; he just made an intentional choice to keep his proverbial chin up!

Oneiromancy (try saying that three times quickly or even once quickly for that matter!) is the science or practice of interpreting dreams. This particular profession flourished in Egypt under their pagan religious practices because dreams were thought to determine the future. Joseph and Daniel were the only two Israelites that were given the ability to interpret dreams. Both were very careful to give credit to the Lord for their ability and accuracy. The Lord used both of them at critical times, serving under pagan monarchs, to interpret dreams.

Joseph, upon giving his favorable interpretation to the cupbearer, quickly took advantage of an opportunity that could lead to his release by petitioning the cupbearer, “only keep me in mind when it goes well with you and please do me a kindness by mentioning me to Pharaoh and get me out of this house” (v. 14). You see, Joseph knew that if anyone had the ear of the king it would be the man handing him his cup multiple times a day. It seemed like such a small favor to ask of a man who would see the light of day very soon. But verse 23 is a stark reality for Joseph, “yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.”

My mind races through a myriad of emotions. The despair and discouragement Joseph must have felt are almost palpable. I can imagine that for the first few days after the cupbearer’s release anytime Joseph heard footsteps approaching the dungeon he was flooded with excitement thinking this might be his time. After a few weeks, his anticipation grew dim and gave way to the darkness of the dungeon. Months came and went but freedom was nowhere to be found.

Oh, the disappointment with God! And oh, the anger toward the cupbearer! How could he repay the kindness shown to him with such disregard? Here is a man that had been freed and all that was asked of him was a simple petition to Pharaoh; yet he FORGOT!

Have you ever been in a situation where you were relying so heavily on another person for your happiness, your welfare, your future, your release? How often do we place these expectations on another person? We look to our parents, our friends, our co-workers, our bosses, our husbands, our boyfriends, our children, our pastors, our churches to fix it! I have found myself weeping to my husband over our circumstances and him asking me “What do you want me to do?” To which I have pointedly replied, “I want you to fix it!” Just like a child with a hurt that runs to her mother. Unfortunately, the hurts get bigger as we get older and the quick fixes of a band-aid and a kiss no longer hold the same magic that they use to.

When we find ourselves in situations where we are stuck - and Joseph was stuck – the world has a lot of advice but nothing strong enough to support us in the raging storm. No ballast for our ragged sails. The world would tell us to reach within ourselves and try harder. The world would tell us to get revenge on the cupbearer the next time we had the opportunity. The world would tell us that it never pays to look out for someone else above yourself; it’s a dog-eat-dog world! Lastly, the world would tell us that we have just had some bad luck and our luck will eventually change.

If you have learned anything by now I hope that you have learned that there is no such thing as luck or fate. There is only One who controls our lives, who holds times and seasons in His hands! He says in Daniel 5:23, I am “the God in whose hand are your life-breath and all your ways”. If every breath that I take is dependent upon a sovereign God then how can I believe there is anything left to fate? If the hairs of your head are numbered (Matt. 10:30), your name is inscribed on His palms (Is. 49:16) and He collects your tears in a bottle (Ps. 56:8) then how are your days left to chance? They are not, beloved, they are not!

Everything that happens to you is in His hands and you can rest assured that He makes no mistakes but timing is everything. Scripture talks repeatedly of waiting on the Lord. “They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength” (Isaiah 40:31). Scripture also says that the Lord “waits to be gracious to us” (Isaiah 30:18ESV). Joseph’s situation was not the result of an inept cupbearer but a providential God.

When you hear that, what is your initial reaction? Are you comforted or anxious? Do you realize that the good and the bad are all instruments in the hands of a divine Carpenter who is shaping us to look like Christ? This is where the rubber meets the road. This is where we learn that maybe our theology has been mixed with a little bit of the world’s philosophy.

We have come to associate love with comfort, sentimentality and good feelings. When something hurts or does not feel good then we believe that this is not love. We have defined love as a feeling rather than an action. Remember the scripture from yesterday that said, “God DEMONSTRATED His love for us in this: that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.” Love is an action. There used to be a D.C. Talk song called “Love is a verb.” This is true. I love the people around me by doing for them not merely talking about it.

At the beginning of this series I brought up the statement that many of us identify with the thought “God is not good.” We have been able to say this based on how we define love. Where we have gone wrong is not only in the definition of love but also in how we understand God’s love. James MacDonald says, “God’s love is not a pampering love. God’s love is a perfecting love.” Do you get that? His ultimate love for us is making us into the image of Jesus not making us comfortable. After all, Jesus wasn’t comfortable and He was God!

As we draw to a close for the day, let me encourage you. I know these are hard sayings. This is not for the faint of heart. Scripture even confirms in Hebrews 12:11 that “all discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.” Sweet one, I want you to realize that there is never a reason for us to be disappointed in the Lord. He has only good for us if we will hold on! Indeed, the Lord waits to be gracious to us. His timing is everything.