I've spent enough years in ministry to know this: waiting is hard. And waiting while you're hurting? That's brutal.



Joseph knew this better than most of us ever will. He'd been betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, falsely accused of a crime he didn't commit, and thrown into prison. And then he waited. Two full years he sat in that prison cell after the cupbearer forgot him.

But here's what gets me about Joseph: he didn't waste those years. He invested in others while he waited.

The Prison Cell That Changed Everything

Genesis 40 opens with Joseph still in prison. He's the overseer now, which sounds better than it was. He's still a prisoner. He's still stuck. He's still waiting for God to do something.

Then two new prisoners show up, Pharaoh's cupbearer and his baker. Both men had dreams that troubled them, and no one could interpret their meaning.

Genesis 40:6-8 "And Joseph came in unto them in the morning, and looked upon them, and, behold, they were sad. And he asked Pharaoh's officers that were with him in the ward of his lord's house, saying, Wherefore look ye so sadly today? And they said unto him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it. And Joseph said unto them, Do not interpretations belong to God? tell me them, I pray you."

Notice what Joseph did. He noticed. He asked. He cared.

Men who are consumed by anger and bitterness often don't take an interest in others' personal problems. But Joseph did. He could have been focused entirely on his own injustice, and he would have had every right to be. Instead, he looked at these two men and saw their sadness.

That's character under pressure.

When You Keep Serving in the Waiting

Here's the thing about Joseph: he kept his walk with God even when God seemed silent. He kept serving where he was, even though he wanted to be somewhere else. He met the needs of others even when his own needs weren't being met.

That's not natural. That's supernatural.

Philippians 2:4 "Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others."

Joseph could have spent those two years nursing his wounds. He could have rehearsed the injustice over and over. He could have grown bitter and hard. Instead, he invested in the lives of two men who couldn't do a single thing for him.

Well, that's not entirely true. The cupbearer could have done something for him. Joseph even asked him to remember him to Pharaoh. But the cupbearer forgot. For two more years, Joseph sat in that prison while the man he'd helped lived free.

That had to hurt.

But Joseph didn't quit serving. He didn't quit believing. He didn't quit trusting God.

What Frustration Reveals About Us

I think frustration has a way of showing us who we really are. When things aren't going our way, when we're stuck in a place we don't want to be, when we've been forgotten or overlooked: that's when our character shows.

Joseph's character showed up strong. He didn't become self-absorbed. He didn't lose his concern for others. He didn't stop using his gifts to bless people.

And here's what I've learned after 50+ years of ministry: God was preparing Joseph in the waiting. Every day in that prison was part of God's plan. Joseph couldn't see it. He had no idea he'd one day stand before Pharaoh and save a nation from famine. He just knew God was with him, and that was enough to keep him faithful.

Have you ever thought about the truth that God is preparing you right now? Whatever you're waiting for: a new job, a restored relationship, a breakthrough, an answer to prayer: God is using this season to shape you. Don't waste it.

The Opening That Only You Can Fill

Here's what I want you to hear: an opening is coming that only you can fill. God has a plan for your life that's bigger than this moment. But the way you wait matters.

1 Peter 5:6 "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time."

Joseph humbled himself. He served. He trusted. And in God's perfect timing, he was promoted from the pit to the palace. But even before that promotion came, Joseph was prospering because God was with him.

That's the key. Prosperity isn't about your circumstances. It's about God's presence. Joseph had God in prison, and that made all the difference.

Do Right Where You Are

I know some of you reading this feel stuck. You feel forgotten. You feel like you've been doing right, and it hasn't mattered. Maybe you've been falsely accused like Joseph. Maybe you're serving faithfully, and nobody notices. Maybe you're waiting for God to open a door, and it feels like He's taking forever.

Keep doing right anyway. Keep serving where you are. Keep investing in others even when your own needs aren't met. Trust that God is preparing you for something bigger than you can see right now.

Psalm 75:6-7 "For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another."

Your promotion isn't coming from a person. It's coming from God. And when He's ready to move you, nothing can stop it. Until then, just do right and do your best where you are.

Don't quit in the waiting. An opening is coming that only you can fill.

A Few Questions to Think About

Are you serving others even while you're waiting for your own breakthrough?

Joseph didn't wait until his life was fixed before he started caring about other people's problems. He invested in others right where he was. Are you doing the same?

Have you lost sight of your daily bread while worrying about tomorrow?

God was blessing Joseph every single day in that prison. Joseph had favor with the jailer. He had responsibility. He had purpose. Don't miss what God is doing today because you're so focused on what hasn't happened yet.

What's your attitude revealing about your walk with God?

Joseph's attitude in the waiting revealed that his relationship with God was real. He wasn't serving God just to get something from Him. He was serving God because he loved Him. What does your attitude in the waiting say about your walk with God?

If you're in a season of waiting and you need encouragement, I'd love to walk alongside you. You can find more grace-centered truth at waustingardner.com, and I'd encourage you to read The Big Leap of Faith: it's all about believing God loves you exactly as you are, not just when everything's going right.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long did Joseph wait in prison after helping the cupbearer?

Joseph waited two full years after interpreting the cupbearer's dream before he was remembered and brought before Pharaoh. That's a long time to wait when you've done nothing wrong, and someone promised to help you.

Why did Joseph help the cupbearer and baker if they couldn't help him?

Joseph helped them because he had a servant's heart and maintained his walk with God. He didn't serve others based on what they could do for him: he served because that's who he was. His character didn't change based on his circumstances.

What does it mean to "invest in others while you wait"?

It means using your gifts to bless people even when your own situation isn't resolved. It means noticing when others are hurting and caring enough to ask. It means keeping a servant's heart even when you're the one who needs help. Joseph did this by interpreting dreams for prisoners who had no power to help him: but he did it anyway because God had given him that gift.