Suddenly

Suddenly

Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.” Genesis 41:41, ESV

JOSEPH HAD WAITED YEARS for God to fulfill his promises to him. He had been told of future glory, but everything that happened from that moment forward seemed to send him in the opposite direction—into an existence with no glory at all. Sold into slavery, imprisoned unjustly, and forgotten by those who promised to put in a good word for him, Joseph was in a place of little hope.

He surely must have wondered why nothing had worked out. Yet while Joseph was seemingly moving away from God’s purposes for him, he was actually moving toward them. When the time came, he was elevated from prison to Pharaoh’s court in a single day. The promise—or at least the early evidence of it—was suddenly fulfilled. His prayers had certainly been heard long before, but only after years of waiting did he receive any indication of God answering. All he had was an old promise and trust that God was with him.

That’s often how God’s promises and our faith work together. They break through suddenly. With God, of course, suddenlies are years in the making, but to us they appear out of the blue. They sometimes break into our experience long after we first prayed and possibly even after we’ve forgotten we prayed. They show up when we least expect them—even though by faith we are supposed to be expecting them. They remind us that prayers are like seeds that sometimes grow up imperceptibly and then bloom overnight.

Don’t get discouraged by the waiting. Remember that we inherit God’s promises by faith and patience (Hebrews 6:12). The blessings of his Kingdom usually grow before they appear, like bowls being slowly filled with incense. The answers come both suddenly and in the fullness of time, long in the making and yet surprising when finally made. He has not forgotten any promise he’s ever given, and many of your prayers are still on his heart to fulfill. In one way or another, in this age or the age to come, you will be satisfied.

The permanence of God’s character guarantees the fulfillment of his promises.