May 28, the payout for patience.

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, Genesis 50, verse 20. The story of Joseph in Genesis 37 through 50,

is a great lesson in why we should have faith in the sovereign future grace of God.

Joseph is sold into slavery by his brothers, which must have tested his patience tremendously,

but he has given a good job in Potiphar's house in Egypt. Then when he's acting uprightly

in the unplanned place of obedience, Potiphar's wife lies about his integrity and has him thrown into

prison, another great trial to his patience. But again, things turn for the better and the prison

keeper gives him responsibility and respect, but just when he thinks he is about to get a reprieve

from Pharaoh's cut bearer whose dream he interpreted, the cut bearer forgets him for two more years,

another painful trial to his patience. Finally, the meaning of all these detours and delays

becomes clear. Joseph is raised up to be the leader of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh. He ends up

saving from starvation the varied brothers who sold him into slavery.

Joseph says to his long estranged brothers, God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant

on earth and to keep alive for you many survivors, 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,

Genesis 45, 7, and 50, verse 20. What would have been the key to patience for Joseph during all those

long years of exile and abuse? The answer is faith in God's sovereign future grace.

The sovereign grace of God to turn the unplanned place and the unplanned pace into the happiest

ending imaginable. That's the key to our patience as well. Do we believe that God is working for us

in the strangest and most painful turns of our lives?