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34_The fruit of the Spirit is patience

Gen 39:20 – 40:4 And Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined, and he was there in prison. 21 But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 22 And the keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever was done there, he was the one who did it. 23 The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph’s charge, because the Lord was with him. And whatever he did, the Lord made it succeed.

Gen 40:1 Some time after this, the cupbearer of the king of Egypt and his baker committed an offense against their lord the king of Egypt. 2 And Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, 3 and he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison where Joseph was confined. 4 The captain of the guard appointed Joseph to be with them, and he attended them. They continued for some time in custody.

In the 1950s and 60s, Christians in China endured unimaginable persecution. Among them was Chen Minying, later known as George Chen. This devout believer was subjected to horrific treatment in prison. The authorities assigned him to compost human waste. While carrying out this humiliating task, Chen turned it into an opportunity for worship. In his own words, “I was actually happy. I could pray and sing loudly because the stench kept everyone away.” This powerful testimony reminds us of Joseph, who transformed bitter experiences into hope and patience.

Joseph, betrayed by his brothers and sold into slavery, rose to become the trusted manager of Potiphar’s household. But when falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife, he found himself thrown into prison—a place that could have crushed his spirit. Yet, the account in Genesis tells us repeatedly, “The Lord was with Joseph.”

This divine presence sustained him constantly. Whether a slave in Potiphar’s house or a prisoner in Pharaoh’s jail, Joseph trusted God to fulfill His promises. He did not turn away from his faith when personal gain or comfort were threatened or lost. His eyes were on the Almighty, Lord of heaven and earth. His trust gave him courage and hope for each day.

In the prison, Joseph’s diligence and character brought him into favor with the warden. He was put in charge of the other inmates. Proverbs 22:29 echoes this, “Do you see a man diligent in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men” Even in physical chains, Joseph’s life proceeded according to God’s plan.

Joseph’s patience came from his spiritual sight of God’s greater plan, beyond his immediate suffering. His clear vision of God left him free to love others. In prison himself, he noticed and enquired about the sadness of his fellow-captives, the royal butler and baker. His kindness and discernment, rooted in his faith, reveals a complete trust in God that prevented self-pity or despair.

Joseph’s gift of interpreting dreams came from God. When asked to explain the dreams, he responded, “Do not interpretations belong to God?” (Genesis 40:8). This humility gave credibility to his words and pointed the hearers to the true author of revelation, God himself.

The dreams foretold vastly different fates for the butler and the baker—restoration for one and death for the other. Yet Joseph faithfully delivered both messages without fear. This balance of truth and love marks a godly man. Speaking only what God reveals, even when the message is hard to bear, reflects a heart that sees the presence of God as worthy of honor above all.

Despite Joseph’s kindness, the butler forgot him for two long years. Human gratitude may be fleeting, however sincere. From a human perspective, this delay is unbearable. In God’s perfect timing, those two years were critical. If released from Potiphar’s house, or released from jail before the famine came, Joseph would have returned to his home, continuing to be a shepherd. During these two years, he underwent a divinely appointed preparation for his future exalted position. role as Egypt’s second-in-command.

Through his experiences in Potiphar’s house and Pharaoh’s prison, Joseph learned invaluable lessons in administration, leadership, and caring for others. The untaught shepherd boy became a cultured and highly trained man capable of guiding a kingdom through a devastating famine. Living in the prison where only the king’s prisoners were kept, he learned about the court protocol. He must have understood the pitfalls of power and influence. He learned to handle authority with integrity. This refinement was no less a miracle than his gift of dream interpretation. His patience in enduring the process allowed God to shape him into the leader he was destined to be. Truly, as Job declares, “Who teaches like Him?” (Job 36:22).

butler’s memory was jogged when Pharaoh demanded an interpreter for his dream. God’s moment had come. His timing is impeccable. The years of waiting, the trials, and the suffering culminated in the fulfillment of God’s promises. What seemed like delays were, in fact, divine appointments, orchestrating Joseph’s rise to power at the perfect time.

Patience is not passive resignation or endurance, but active well-doing born of trust in God’s sovereignty. It is the fruit of the Spirit, cultivated through trials and nourished by faith. Patience comes from a confident expectation of God’s goodness. It allows us to endure delays without despair, knowing that God is at work behind the scenes, even when we cannot see it.

In a world that demands instant results, we must learn to wait on God’s timing. Whether it’s an unanswered prayer, a delayed dream, or a prolonged trial, let us trust that God is using every moment to prepare us for His purposes. As Romans 8:28 reminds us, “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” Delays are not denials but part of God’s perfect plan to mold us into the image of Christ.

Patience is a manifestation of faith. It reveals our trust in God’s character, our reliance on His promises, and our willingness to surrender to His will. In our waiting, let us fix our eyes on Jesus, who endured the cross for the joy set before Him. In Him, we find the strength to persevere with joy, and the hope to trust that His plans for us are always good. In him we can live with the assurance that every step, every trial, and every delay is leading us closer to the fulfillment of God’s promises. God bless you.