Don't Waste The Wait
“What God is doing in you while you wait may be just as important as what you’re waiting for Him to do.”
Your Life Isn't on Hold
Have you ever felt like your entire life was on hold? You're waiting for the next opportunity, the next promotion, the next relationship, the next breakthrough, or the next answered prayer. And somewhere along the way, you begin telling yourself, “When this finally changes, then I'll really start living.”
When I get the new job, then I'll be happy. When I get married, then I'll feel fulfilled. When I get through this difficult season, then I'll serve God wholeheartedly. When the breakthrough comes, then I'll finally have peace. But what if we're missing something? What if God has something for us right here, in the middle of the season we're so anxious to leave?
Last week, as we began our In the Waiting Room series, we looked at the prophet Habakkuk and discovered that trusting God doesn't always mean understanding His timing. Habakkuk began by asking, “How long, Lord?” But by the end of his book, he was declaring, “Yet I will rejoice in the LORD!”
His circumstances hadn't suddenly become easy. His confidence had simply shifted from needing all the answers to trusting the God who held them. But there's another side to waiting. It's one thing to learn how to trust God while you're waiting. It's another thing to learn how to live while you're waiting.
Your current season may not be your final destination, but it's still a place where you can be faithful to God. Don't put your purpose on hold while you're waiting for your circumstances to change.
The Promise Doesn't Eliminate the Process
Joseph's story begins in Genesis 37. He's seventeen years old, favored by his father, and given dreams that point toward a remarkable future. But almost immediately, his life takes a direction nobody would have expected.
His brothers become jealous. They strip him of his special robe, throw him into a pit, and eventually sell him into slavery. Think about that. Joseph has dreams about a future of influence, but his immediate circumstances move in exactly the opposite direction. He goes from being a favored son in his father's house to a slave in a foreign land.
What do you do when your present circumstances look nothing like the future you thought was ahead of you? Maybe you had a picture of what life would look like by now. You had plans, expectations, and dreams. You thought you'd be further along. You thought certain things would have worked out differently. And instead, you're somewhere you never expected to be.
Joseph was seventeen when he received those dreams, but he was thirty when he entered Pharaoh's service. Thirteen years separated the dreams from his elevation to authority in Egypt. And those years were filled with betrayal, separation, slavery, false
accusations, imprisonment, and disappointment.
The promise didn't eliminate the process. We love the idea of what God might do next, but sometimes we struggle to remain faithful in what we're facing now. Joseph's story reminds us that a difficult road doesn't automatically mean we've taken a wrong turn. Not every hardship is something God specifically caused to teach us a lesson. Joseph's brothers sinned against him. Potiphar's wife falsely accused him. Real people made real decisions that caused real suffering. But none of those things placed Joseph beyond God's reach. Your circumstances do not have the final authority over God's purposes. You may not be able to control the season you're in, but you can choose to remain faithful in it.
God Is With You in the Middle
One of the most beautiful details in Joseph's story is a phrase Scripture repeats throughout his journey: “The LORD was with Joseph.” Genesis 39:2 tells us that the Lord was with Joseph while he served in Potiphar's house. Where was Joseph? In Egypt. In slavery. Far from home. Living a life he never would have chosen. And yet the Lord was with him.
Then Joseph was falsely accused and thrown into prison. Surely this would have been the moment when he felt abandoned. But Genesis 39:21 tells us again that the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love. Different location. Different circumstances. Different season. Same God.
That's the heartbeat of this entire series: Same God. Different Season. Bigger Purpose. Sometimes we become so focused on getting to the next season that we miss the presence of God in this one. We tell ourselves we'll have peace when things change, we'll worship when the breakthrough comes, or we'll recognize God's goodness when life becomes easier.
But Joseph's story reminds us that God's presence is not reserved for the palace. He was with Joseph in Potiphar's house. He was with Joseph in prison. And He was with Joseph when he eventually stood before Pharaoh.
God's presence didn't mean Joseph never suffered. He suffered deeply. God's favor didn't mean Joseph never experienced injustice. He experienced terrible injustice. But the Lord remained with him. And if you belong to Jesus, you have His promise: “I will never leave
you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). That isn't a promise that everything will be easy. It's a promise that you don't have to face everything alone. The presence of God isn't the reward at the end of your waiting. His presence is available to sustain you in the middle of it.
Be Faithful Where You Are
Joseph could have spent every day in Egypt complaining about how unfair life had become. And after everything he'd experienced, he certainly had reasons to feel hurt. But instead of allowing his circumstances to determine whether he would be faithful, Joseph continued serving.
In Potiphar's house, he handled responsibility, developed trust, and demonstrated integrity. Even after being falsely accused and thrown into prison, he continued serving faithfully. Joseph wasn't faithful because his circumstances were favorable. He was faithful because of the God he served. And that challenges us.
You don't have to wait until you get the promotion to work with integrity. You don't have to wait until your marriage is perfect to begin loving faithfully. You don't have to wait until your finances improve to begin honoring God with what you have. You don't have to wait until you receive the opportunity you want to serve God with the opportunities you already have.
Faithfulness isn't waiting until everything is right before you do what is right. Joseph's faithfulness wasn't limited to his work ethic. It included his character. When Potiphar's wife tempted him, he refused, declaring, “How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9). He chose integrity even when compromise might have seemed easier.
And doing the right thing eventually cost him dearly.
Real faithfulness isn't simply doing what's convenient. It's honoring God even when obedience costs something. So here's a question worth asking: What has God already placed in your hands? Your marriage? Your children? Your job? Your ministry? Your relationships? Your gifts? Your opportunities to serve? Instead of spending every day asking when God is going to give you something different, perhaps we should ask whether we're being faithful with
what He's already given us. Your current assignment matters. Your current relationships matter. Your current obedience matters. Don't just wait for what's next. Be faithful with what's now.
Forgotten by People, Remembered by God
Perhaps one of the hardest parts of waiting comes when you've been faithful, done the right thing, served, obeyed, and prayed, yet nothing seems to change. Joseph experienced that too. While in prison, Joseph interpreted the dreams of two of Pharaoh's officials. One of them, the chief cupbearer, was going to be restored to his position.
Before the cupbearer left, Joseph made a simple request: Remember me. Tell Pharaoh about me. Help me get out of here. Joseph wanted to be free. He wanted justice. He wanted someone to remember him. And there was nothing wrong with that. But Genesis 40:23 tells us, “Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.” He forgot him. And Joseph remained in prison for two more years.
Imagine how discouraging that must have been. Joseph had helped this man, and everything happened just as he said it would. The door seemed ready to open, but then nothing happened. Maybe you've experienced something similar. Someone promised to
help. An opportunity looked promising. You thought things were finally about to change. And then nothing.
But here's something we need to remember: Being forgotten by people doesn't mean you've been forgotten by God. Eventually, Pharaoh had dreams that none of his advisers could interpret. Suddenly, the cupbearer remembered Joseph. Joseph was brought before Pharaoh, and after all those years of betrayal, imprisonment, and disappointment, he still gave God the glory. When Pharaoh praised Joseph's ability to interpret dreams, Joseph responded, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer” (Genesis 41:16). He hadn't forgotten who God was. And neither should we.
The Palace Wasn't the Point
Eventually, Pharaoh placed Joseph in authority over Egypt. From the pit to Potiphar's house. From Potiphar's house to prison. From prison to the palace. What an incredible turnaround!
But here's what we cannot miss: The palace wasn't the point. God wasn't simply writing a story about a young man who went from poverty to power. A devastating famine was coming. Families would need food. Nations would be affected. And God used Joseph's position to preserve lives. Years later, Joseph stood before the same brothers who had betrayed
him and made one of the most powerful declarations in Scripture: “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today” (Genesis 50:20).
Notice that Joseph didn't pretend what his brothers did was acceptable. He called it evil. But he also recognized that God's providence was greater than their evil intentions. And the ultimate good wasn't simply that Joseph became powerful. It was that many lives were preserved. Sometimes God's purpose is bigger than the personal outcome we've
been praying for. Joseph's story was bigger than Joseph. And our lives are bigger than
ourselves too.
God has called us to love people, serve people, make disciples, share the Gospel, bless others, and carry His presence into the world. So while you're waiting, don't lose sight of the mission. Don't become so consumed with what you want God to do for you that
you miss what He wants to do through you.
The Road Ahead
Maybe you're in a season you never expected. Maybe the plans you made haven't unfolded the way you imagined. Maybe you're waiting for an answer, an opportunity, or a breakthrough that still hasn't come. It's okay to desire something different. Joseph wanted out of prison. Habakkuk wanted answers. Faith doesn't require us to pretend difficult
circumstances are wonderful.
But faith does invite us to trust God and remain faithful while we're walking through them. Don't put your relationship with Jesus on hold. Don't stop worshiping. Don't stop serving. Don't stop loving people. Don't stop obeying what God has already made clear.
Your life is happening right now. Your children are growing up right now. People need encouragement right now. Your community needs the Gospel right now. There are
opportunities to make a Kingdom difference right now. You don't have to stand in a palace for your life to be useful to God. And remember, the greatest promise isn't that every waiting season will end exactly as we hoped. It's that the Lord will remain faithful to His people. Same God. Different Season. Bigger Purpose. What God is doing in you while you wait may be just as important as what you're waiting for Him to do. So keep trusting. Keep growing. Keep serving. Keep walking with Jesus. Don't just wait for what's next. Be faithful with what's now. Don't waste the wait.
Have you ever felt like your entire life was on hold? You're waiting for the next opportunity, the next promotion, the next relationship, the next breakthrough, or the next answered prayer. And somewhere along the way, you begin telling yourself, “When this finally changes, then I'll really start living.”
When I get the new job, then I'll be happy. When I get married, then I'll feel fulfilled. When I get through this difficult season, then I'll serve God wholeheartedly. When the breakthrough comes, then I'll finally have peace. But what if we're missing something? What if God has something for us right here, in the middle of the season we're so anxious to leave?
Last week, as we began our In the Waiting Room series, we looked at the prophet Habakkuk and discovered that trusting God doesn't always mean understanding His timing. Habakkuk began by asking, “How long, Lord?” But by the end of his book, he was declaring, “Yet I will rejoice in the LORD!”
His circumstances hadn't suddenly become easy. His confidence had simply shifted from needing all the answers to trusting the God who held them. But there's another side to waiting. It's one thing to learn how to trust God while you're waiting. It's another thing to learn how to live while you're waiting.
Your current season may not be your final destination, but it's still a place where you can be faithful to God. Don't put your purpose on hold while you're waiting for your circumstances to change.
The Promise Doesn't Eliminate the Process
Joseph's story begins in Genesis 37. He's seventeen years old, favored by his father, and given dreams that point toward a remarkable future. But almost immediately, his life takes a direction nobody would have expected.
His brothers become jealous. They strip him of his special robe, throw him into a pit, and eventually sell him into slavery. Think about that. Joseph has dreams about a future of influence, but his immediate circumstances move in exactly the opposite direction. He goes from being a favored son in his father's house to a slave in a foreign land.
What do you do when your present circumstances look nothing like the future you thought was ahead of you? Maybe you had a picture of what life would look like by now. You had plans, expectations, and dreams. You thought you'd be further along. You thought certain things would have worked out differently. And instead, you're somewhere you never expected to be.
Joseph was seventeen when he received those dreams, but he was thirty when he entered Pharaoh's service. Thirteen years separated the dreams from his elevation to authority in Egypt. And those years were filled with betrayal, separation, slavery, false
accusations, imprisonment, and disappointment.
The promise didn't eliminate the process. We love the idea of what God might do next, but sometimes we struggle to remain faithful in what we're facing now. Joseph's story reminds us that a difficult road doesn't automatically mean we've taken a wrong turn. Not every hardship is something God specifically caused to teach us a lesson. Joseph's brothers sinned against him. Potiphar's wife falsely accused him. Real people made real decisions that caused real suffering. But none of those things placed Joseph beyond God's reach. Your circumstances do not have the final authority over God's purposes. You may not be able to control the season you're in, but you can choose to remain faithful in it.
God Is With You in the Middle
One of the most beautiful details in Joseph's story is a phrase Scripture repeats throughout his journey: “The LORD was with Joseph.” Genesis 39:2 tells us that the Lord was with Joseph while he served in Potiphar's house. Where was Joseph? In Egypt. In slavery. Far from home. Living a life he never would have chosen. And yet the Lord was with him.
Then Joseph was falsely accused and thrown into prison. Surely this would have been the moment when he felt abandoned. But Genesis 39:21 tells us again that the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love. Different location. Different circumstances. Different season. Same God.
That's the heartbeat of this entire series: Same God. Different Season. Bigger Purpose. Sometimes we become so focused on getting to the next season that we miss the presence of God in this one. We tell ourselves we'll have peace when things change, we'll worship when the breakthrough comes, or we'll recognize God's goodness when life becomes easier.
But Joseph's story reminds us that God's presence is not reserved for the palace. He was with Joseph in Potiphar's house. He was with Joseph in prison. And He was with Joseph when he eventually stood before Pharaoh.
God's presence didn't mean Joseph never suffered. He suffered deeply. God's favor didn't mean Joseph never experienced injustice. He experienced terrible injustice. But the Lord remained with him. And if you belong to Jesus, you have His promise: “I will never leave
you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). That isn't a promise that everything will be easy. It's a promise that you don't have to face everything alone. The presence of God isn't the reward at the end of your waiting. His presence is available to sustain you in the middle of it.
Be Faithful Where You Are
Joseph could have spent every day in Egypt complaining about how unfair life had become. And after everything he'd experienced, he certainly had reasons to feel hurt. But instead of allowing his circumstances to determine whether he would be faithful, Joseph continued serving.
In Potiphar's house, he handled responsibility, developed trust, and demonstrated integrity. Even after being falsely accused and thrown into prison, he continued serving faithfully. Joseph wasn't faithful because his circumstances were favorable. He was faithful because of the God he served. And that challenges us.
You don't have to wait until you get the promotion to work with integrity. You don't have to wait until your marriage is perfect to begin loving faithfully. You don't have to wait until your finances improve to begin honoring God with what you have. You don't have to wait until you receive the opportunity you want to serve God with the opportunities you already have.
Faithfulness isn't waiting until everything is right before you do what is right. Joseph's faithfulness wasn't limited to his work ethic. It included his character. When Potiphar's wife tempted him, he refused, declaring, “How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9). He chose integrity even when compromise might have seemed easier.
And doing the right thing eventually cost him dearly.
Real faithfulness isn't simply doing what's convenient. It's honoring God even when obedience costs something. So here's a question worth asking: What has God already placed in your hands? Your marriage? Your children? Your job? Your ministry? Your relationships? Your gifts? Your opportunities to serve? Instead of spending every day asking when God is going to give you something different, perhaps we should ask whether we're being faithful with
what He's already given us. Your current assignment matters. Your current relationships matter. Your current obedience matters. Don't just wait for what's next. Be faithful with what's now.
Forgotten by People, Remembered by God
Perhaps one of the hardest parts of waiting comes when you've been faithful, done the right thing, served, obeyed, and prayed, yet nothing seems to change. Joseph experienced that too. While in prison, Joseph interpreted the dreams of two of Pharaoh's officials. One of them, the chief cupbearer, was going to be restored to his position.
Before the cupbearer left, Joseph made a simple request: Remember me. Tell Pharaoh about me. Help me get out of here. Joseph wanted to be free. He wanted justice. He wanted someone to remember him. And there was nothing wrong with that. But Genesis 40:23 tells us, “Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.” He forgot him. And Joseph remained in prison for two more years.
Imagine how discouraging that must have been. Joseph had helped this man, and everything happened just as he said it would. The door seemed ready to open, but then nothing happened. Maybe you've experienced something similar. Someone promised to
help. An opportunity looked promising. You thought things were finally about to change. And then nothing.
But here's something we need to remember: Being forgotten by people doesn't mean you've been forgotten by God. Eventually, Pharaoh had dreams that none of his advisers could interpret. Suddenly, the cupbearer remembered Joseph. Joseph was brought before Pharaoh, and after all those years of betrayal, imprisonment, and disappointment, he still gave God the glory. When Pharaoh praised Joseph's ability to interpret dreams, Joseph responded, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer” (Genesis 41:16). He hadn't forgotten who God was. And neither should we.
The Palace Wasn't the Point
Eventually, Pharaoh placed Joseph in authority over Egypt. From the pit to Potiphar's house. From Potiphar's house to prison. From prison to the palace. What an incredible turnaround!
But here's what we cannot miss: The palace wasn't the point. God wasn't simply writing a story about a young man who went from poverty to power. A devastating famine was coming. Families would need food. Nations would be affected. And God used Joseph's position to preserve lives. Years later, Joseph stood before the same brothers who had betrayed
him and made one of the most powerful declarations in Scripture: “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today” (Genesis 50:20).
Notice that Joseph didn't pretend what his brothers did was acceptable. He called it evil. But he also recognized that God's providence was greater than their evil intentions. And the ultimate good wasn't simply that Joseph became powerful. It was that many lives were preserved. Sometimes God's purpose is bigger than the personal outcome we've
been praying for. Joseph's story was bigger than Joseph. And our lives are bigger than
ourselves too.
God has called us to love people, serve people, make disciples, share the Gospel, bless others, and carry His presence into the world. So while you're waiting, don't lose sight of the mission. Don't become so consumed with what you want God to do for you that
you miss what He wants to do through you.
The Road Ahead
Maybe you're in a season you never expected. Maybe the plans you made haven't unfolded the way you imagined. Maybe you're waiting for an answer, an opportunity, or a breakthrough that still hasn't come. It's okay to desire something different. Joseph wanted out of prison. Habakkuk wanted answers. Faith doesn't require us to pretend difficult
circumstances are wonderful.
But faith does invite us to trust God and remain faithful while we're walking through them. Don't put your relationship with Jesus on hold. Don't stop worshiping. Don't stop serving. Don't stop loving people. Don't stop obeying what God has already made clear.
Your life is happening right now. Your children are growing up right now. People need encouragement right now. Your community needs the Gospel right now. There are
opportunities to make a Kingdom difference right now. You don't have to stand in a palace for your life to be useful to God. And remember, the greatest promise isn't that every waiting season will end exactly as we hoped. It's that the Lord will remain faithful to His people. Same God. Different Season. Bigger Purpose. What God is doing in you while you wait may be just as important as what you're waiting for Him to do. So keep trusting. Keep growing. Keep serving. Keep walking with Jesus. Don't just wait for what's next. Be faithful with what's now. Don't waste the wait.
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