I've lived long enough to see it happen more times than I can count.



Someone's walking through what feels like the longest night. Years of waiting. Years of "Where is God in this?" And then: overnight: everything shifts. The phone rings. The door opens. The impossible becomes possible.

That's Joseph's story in Genesis 41:14. And it might be closer to your story than you think.

From the Dungeon to the Palace in One Day

Genesis 41:14

> "Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh."

Read that again. Slowly.

Joseph woke up that morning in a dungeon. He went to bed that night as the second most powerful man in Egypt.

One day.

Not a slow climb. Not a gradual promotion. Not a five-year plan that finally worked out.

Hastily. That's the word the Bible uses. They rushed him out. Pharaoh didn't send a polite invitation for next week. He sent for Joseph now.

Joseph had been in that prison for years. Forgotten by the cupbearer who promised to remember him. Buried alive in Potiphar's basement. And then, in a single morning, God moved.

That's how God works sometimes. Years of silence. Then a single day that changes everything.

You Don't Know What Tomorrow Brings

I learned this the hard way during my battle with Stage 4 cancer. One day, you're making plans. The next day, you're in a hospital bed, wondering if you'll see another Christmas.

Life turns on a dime.

But here's the flip side: If life can take a dark turn overnight, it can also take a bright turn just as fast.

Joseph didn't see it coming. He had no idea that morning was the morning. He woke up in chains. He went to sleep in a palace.

You're reading this today, and you have no idea what tomorrow holds. Your "suddenly" could be 24 hours away.

That job you've been praying for? The relationship you've been asking God to restore? The breakthrough you've been waiting for? It could happen tomorrow. Or next week. Or next month.

But here's what I know after 50+ years of walking with God: He's never late. And when He moves, He moves fast.

James 4:14 reminds us:

> "Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away."

We don't control the timeline. But we can trust the One who does.

The Three Hebrew Verbs of Urgency

The scholars tell us that there are three Hebrew verbs stacked together in Genesis 41:14: "sent." Called. Hastily brought out.

Pharaoh wasn't messing around. He had a problem. He needed an answer. And when he heard about Joseph, he didn't wait.

God's timing can feel slow to us. But when He moves, He doesn't waste time.

I've seen it in ministry. I've watched people pray for years over a wayward child, and then one day: boom: the kid comes home. I've watched churches stuck in the wilderness for a decade, and then one Sunday everything shifts.

You can't manufacture these moments. You can't force them. You can only be ready when they come.

And that's the question you need to ask yourself today: If the door opened tomorrow, would you be ready to walk through it?

He Shaved and Changed His Clothes

This detail matters.

Joseph didn't walk into Pharaoh's court looking like a dungeon rat. He cleaned up. He shaved. He changed his clothes.

He transitioned.

There's a spiritual principle here. You can't walk into your future wearing the clothes of your past.

Joseph didn't show up bitter. He didn't walk in rehearsing all the reasons Potiphar's wife ruined his life or his brothers destroyed his dreams. He walked in ready.

That's what I mean when I say God's grace isn't just about forgiveness: it's about transformation. God doesn't just open the door. He prepares you to walk through it.

If you're in a hard season right now, don't waste it. Let God do the internal work. Let Him strip away the bitterness, the self-pity, the "Why me?" mentality.

Because when your door opens, and it will, you need to be ready to step through it clean.

The Suddenness of God's Timing

Here's what gets me about this story.

Joseph had been waiting for thirteen years. Thirteen. Slavery. False accusations. Prison. Forgotten promises.

And then, one morning, it all flipped.

That's how God operates. He doesn't work on our schedule. He works on His. And His schedule is always perfect, even when it doesn't feel like it.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 says it this way:

> "He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end."

Beautiful in His time. Not ours.

I don't know where you are today. Maybe you're in your own dungeon. Maybe you've been waiting for years. Maybe you've given up hope that anything will ever change.

Don't.

Your "suddenly" is still on the calendar. And when it comes, you'll look back and realize every hard day was preparing you for this moment.

So What Do You Do While You Wait?

Good question. Here's what I've learned:

Stay faithful where you are. Joseph didn't stop serving in prison. He didn't sit in the corner and sulk. He interpreted dreams for the cupbearer and the baker. He stayed engaged. He stayed useful. Your current assignment matters.

Keep your heart clean. Bitterness will disqualify you faster than anything. If you walk into your breakthrough dragging resentment, you'll sabotage it. Let God deal with the people who hurt you. That's His job, not yours.

Trust God's timing. This is the hardest part. We want it now. God says, "Not yet." And the gap between "now" and "not yet" is where faith grows. Trust Him. He hasn't forgotten you.

Get ready. Don't wait until the door opens to prepare. Get ready now. Spiritually. Emotionally. Practically. When the call comes, you want to be able to move.

A Few Questions to Think About

• If your breakthrough came tomorrow, would you be spiritually ready for it?
• What "dungeon clothes" (bitterness, self-pity, fear) do you need to take off today?
• Are you staying faithful in your current assignment, even though it's hard?
• Do you believe God's timing is perfect, or are you trying to force your own schedule?

A Short Closing Prayer

Father, I don't know when my "suddenly" is coming. But I trust You. Help me to stay faithful where I am. Help me to keep my heart clean. Help me to be ready when the door opens. I believe You're working, even when I can't see it. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Let's Stay Connected

If this message encouraged you today, I'd love to walk with you on this journey. Check out more articles and resources at waustingardner.com, or listen to the Followed by Mercy podcast, where we dive deeper into God's grace and how He's always after you: not to punish you, but to love you.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Genesis 41:14 teach us about God's timing?

Genesis 41:14 shows us that God can change everything in a single day. Joseph went from the dungeon to the palace in one morning. God's timing may feel slow, but when He moves, He moves suddenly and decisively.

How long was Joseph in prison before Pharaoh called for him?

Joseph spent approximately 13 years in slavery and prison before Pharaoh summoned him. He was sold into slavery at 17 and stood before Pharaoh at 30. Those years weren't wasted: they were preparation.

What does it mean that Joseph "shaved himself and changed his raiment"?

Joseph's physical preparation (shaving and changing clothes) symbolizes spiritual readiness. He didn't walk into his future wearing the bitterness and brokenness of his past. He cleaned up and stepped into what God had for him. It's a picture of leaving the past behind and embracing the new thing God is doing.