Genesis 40:23-41:1
Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him. And it came
to pass at the end of two full years…
We find in the portion of our text today that two full years have gone
by since the various events that unfolded in Joseph's life throughout
Genesis chapter forty. However, I found that I could not get past this
opening point as I began reading chapter forty-one:
"And it came to pass at the end of two full years…"
Two FULL years - not a day sooner and not a day later! You know, ladies,
it's so easy for you and I to read such a statement yet not understand
the full impact of this interlude of time. We are detached from it because
it did not happen to us; they are just words we read with numbness. However,
mention those two particular years to Joseph and you will get quite a
different reaction! Surely, a great deal of construction took place in
Joseph's heart during this length of time the Lord determined! Two FULL
years were ordained for Joseph to wait upon the Lord after having been
forgotten by man. Two FULL years were ordained for Joseph to trust in
the Lord - one single day at a time. Considering his circumstances, do
you think Joseph wasted any of those days away with worry or doubt or
even bitterness? Would you have?? How many days in your life have you
fully applied the way in which the Lord intends? Each of us is given a
certain measure of time from God with which to be a steward. We must learn,
therefore, to number every single day and respond properly and prayerfully
during even the most difficult transitions…
Psalm 90:12
So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
Ladies, rather than forget the lessons we have learned all through a certain
period, the Lord would have us store up the teachings of wisdom that our
days have afforded us, making even hard times count for something God
can praise! This is why Joseph was given two FULL years; every lesson
in itself needed to be completed and applied to his heart and then tucked
away to be of practical use later on. Are you diligent about your lessons,
dear lady? Are you begging the Holy Spirit to teach you things you do
not know? Are you applying what God is faithful to show you or are you
just flipping through the pages of time haphazardly? Perhaps this is the
very reason the Lord has not graduated you sooner…
Eccles. 3:1
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the
heaven:
You see, our heavenly Father wants to establish the work of our hands
every single day, rather than once in a while. When we neglect our appointed
seasons, we sin against God and become the cause of our own misery. Instead
of wasting our precious, fleeting days in pursuing fancies, or pouting
about our uncomfortable circumstances, make them count! Take care of the
minutes and the hours will take care of themselves. Even as you and I
look back at history, we can see that God filled time with activity and
all goings on contained purpose. Consider for a moment how you have spent
even just the last two years of your life. Tally up the days and calculate
whether you invested your time wisely. Has it left you richer or poorer?
If you are on the road to poverty, you can break wasteful habits starting
today! Begin by bowing down…
Proverbs 22:17-19
Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart
unto my knowledge. For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within
thee; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips. That thy trust may be in
the Lord, I have made known to thee THIS DAY, even to thee.
Ladies, we must acquire the same quality education Joseph did; we must
make it our conscious duty to willingly learn from the Lord THIS and EVERY
day! Use time as He did and leave your graduation plans with Him. God
is a loving Teacher and knows best when you and I are ready to move on
to the next lesson; the end will come. Actually, time is like a dressmaker
that specializes in alterations. Perhaps you have felt the pricks of God's
needle as He works to "adjust" your character. Even so, if it takes two
FULL years for our current circumstances to improve, regardless of the
difficulties, we must be thankful for every second given to grow in grace
and in our knowledge of the Lord!
Ephes. 5:16
Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
The Bible teaches that rather than waste time, we had better buy it up
and employ it correctly while it is in our possession! Lost opportunities
cannot be purchased later. Like Joseph, the Lord has given us each a measure
of time to develop our faith, to make us richer, yet we choose poverty
for ourselves when we squander it! I wonder how many of us will be shocked
at discovering how much time we have literally thrown away simply by having
the wrong attitude. If you have been guilty of wasting time, do not give
up - you must now double your diligence for the future!
Occasionally, my children would dawdle over their schoolwork and then
grumble that they did not have enough time to complete their lessons.
I always responded by telling them that it's fruitless and a further waste
of time to complain about the situation when they should just apply themselves
toward getting busy and finishing it! Sometimes adults aren't much different
than children… People are prone to complain of hard times when God says
it is better for us to redeem them! Be not unwise, ladies - ignoring our
duties and neglecting our own souls is quite irresponsible. You can't
kill time without injuring eternity… Be ever mindful of how you are employing
each moment, for God is VERY conscious of it!
God Bless,
Pam
Isaiah 60:1&2
Copyright 2000 Pamela A. Iannello
Revised 2003