Preparation Time is Never Wasted Time

“Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double.” Zechariah 9v12
Imagine being 17 years old, marked out for greatness by the living God but spending most of the next 13 years in a prison cell for a crime you didn’t commit. This is exactly what happened to Joseph. He was 17 years old when God gave him a dream, 30 years old when he stood before Pharaoh and 38 years old before he saw his dream come to pass. Imagine waiting 21 years before your God given dream comes to pass.
Moses was brought up in the household of Pharaoh but when he was 40 years old it came into his heart to visit the children of Israel. He thought that the people would understand that God was giving them salvation by his hand. However, he ended up fleeing Egypt because he murdered an Egyptian. It was 40 years before he would return to fulfil his God given call to bring salvation to the people of Israel.

The period between receiving a dream and seeing that dream fulfilled is never wasted time because during it God will be perfecting us to enable us to be the person we need to be to carry the dream in to fulfilment. This time cannot be shortened but certainly will be extended if we respond badly to the circumstances we find ourselves in. When the bible describes Joseph, you see a man who made the best of his circumstances and found favour in whatever he did. While he was in prison the bible says that the Lord showed him steadfast love and gave him favour. Eventually the keeper of the prison put him in charge of all the prisoners and whatever he did the Lord made it a success. It’s important to note it didn’t seem like his dream would ever come to pass but by trusting God and doing the right things in the midst of his prison God was able to work on his behalf.
In the prison that you find yourself confined in how are you responding? Are you basking in the steadfast love of your heavenly Father and believing that His favour will open doors for your success or are you complaining and feeling sorry for yourself? Joseph learnt early on that life wasn’t fair but rather than allowing this to determine his future he placed his faith in the one who called him. If you have done the right thing, followed the call of God and ended up in a prison of hope don’t let go of the promises He has given you and allow His love to fill your heart and being.
Joseph was 38 years old when the dream eventually came to pass. Moses was 80 years old when he began his ministry. It seems that God is more interested in preparing us for greatness so that we do things His way than allowing us to quickly achieve our goals and dreams our ways. Whilst you are waiting for the dream to be realised let’s focus on the steadfast love of the Father and rejoice that we are not forgotten just being prepared for greatness.
Alex