God Has Your Whole Lifetime to Make Sense

“God works with lifetimes.” (Dr. Tim Jordan, “Hope Deferred” audio).
Genesis 37-50

Joseph's life seemed to make sense when he was 17. As the favorite son of his father, he dreamed that his siblings would bow down to him—not all that far-fetched for a favorite son. However, his brothers had a plan to annul the dreams, and for 13 years his dreams made no sense. He served God faithfully, but was taken from his family to be a slave, and from his master to be a prisoner. What had become of his dreams? The only faint glimmers he would see of God's promise during that time would have come in the way in which God prospered him. As a slave, he was the head slave. As a prisoner, he was the head prisoner. Still, his dreams made no sense. Can you imagine what it must have been like to interpret the dreams of others—dreams that were so quickly fulfilled—and still be waiting and longing for the fulfillment of your own when each day seemed to make that fulfillment more unlikely? And then God made everything make sense. God is not limited to our yearly planner. Regardless of how far afield God's leading seems to have brought us, we must continue being faithful. Everything will make sense eventually.