WHEN GOD IS SILENT, PART 3

Joseph's story did not end when he was called out of that  prison cell and made 2nd in command over all of Egypt, 2nd only to Pharaoh.  His God-given wisdom and plan of storing up grain for 7 years while the crops were good saved not only the nation of Egypt, but would reunite him with his brothers and his father. It also brought his entire family to Egypt where they multiplied greatly.  Exodus 1: 5-6 "The total number of Jacob's descendants was 70.  Joseph was already in Egypt.  Then Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died.  But the Israelites were fruitful, increased rapidly, multiplied, and became extremely numerous so that the land was filled with them."

Yes, God did great things in Joseph's life.  From our perspective, we can look at his story and SEE all the ways God was working to bring the desired end.  But as Joseph was living it those 13 years, he endured many hardships, defeats and it was NOT a walk in the park.  Still, he trusted God and God blessed him and his entire family.

However, that is still not the end of the story.  God was again silent....this time for 400 years!!!  The Israelites had become slaves in the nation they had fled to and were greatly oppressed.  Yet God had been silent for 400 years.  God had promised their ancestor Abraham that He would multiply them and He had.  But they hadn't heard from him in 400 years, then Exodus 2:23 says "After a long time, the king of Egypt died.  The Israelites groaned because of their difficult labor and they cried out; and their cry for help ascended to God because of the difficult labor.  So God heard their groaning and He remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  God saw the Israelites and He took notice."  Does that mean that God had forgotten them?  Does it mean He was asleep for 400 years and suddenly woke up and saw them struggling?  No.  He knew right where they were.  It just wasn't time yet.

You see God's time clock is not like ours.  II Peter 3:8 "But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day."  We must remember that!  God has a plan, a Kingdom plan that spans all of eternity.  So what seems like eternity to us is just a blip on the radar of all eternity.

Joseph's story was part of this Kingdom plan to move the Israelites to the Promised Land and eventually to establish the nation of Israel, to set apart His people.  And one day, from this bloodline our Savior would come, Jesus Christ.

God is still working.  He is working out His Kingdom plan and we are part of that plan.   We may not see it with our physical eyes.  It may seem that He is not doing anything although we are continually crying out to Him for ourselves or on behalf of someone we love.  But my dear Friend, I assure you that HE IS WORKING!!  Do not mistake His silence for inactivity.

We must trust in WHO HE IS and trust in His goodness!  We must remember that His promises never fail.  So no matter what you are going through, no matter how long you have prayed and seemingly not gotten a response, God does hear, God does notice, God IS working.

"In times of crisis we are prone to question His care; in times of calm we tend to forget our need of His care.  It is fatal to look at circumstances, especially in crisis, for it will be impossible to be still and wait for God's time of deliverance.  DWELL IN STILLNESS AND WAIT FOR CLEARNESS! The unbelieving heart looks at circumstances and leaves God out.  Faith, on the contrary, looks only at God and leaves circumstances out."  Miles Stanford