When God Opens the Door, Are you Ready?

Joseph's circumstances changed almost overnight. One moment he was in prison; the next, he was standing before Pharaoh. We naturally focus on the open door. But there's another question worth asking:

What was God doing in Joseph before the door opened?

We often see waiting as wasted time. But God can use ordinary, unseen seasons to develop the character we'll need for what comes next.

Patience. Faithfulness. Integrity. Humility.

Those qualities aren't usually developed when everything is going well. They're formed when nobody is watching and nothing seems to be changing.

So instead of only asking, “When will God change my situation?” perhaps we should ask, “What is God developing in me while I wait?”

We know how to pray when life is falling apart. But what happens when everything starts going right?

Success can quietly move us from dependence to self-sufficiency. We can forget where our abilities came from, overlook the people who helped us, and begin treating God's blessings as if they belong entirely to us.

But blessing brings responsibility.

If God gives you influence, how will you use it? If He gives you resources, who will benefit? If He opens a door, what will you do with the opportunity?

The goal isn't simply to receive the blessing. It's to become someone who can faithfully carry it.

Joseph's painful chapters eventually became part of how God used him to help others.

Our difficult seasons can work the same way.

The experience you wish you could erase may eventually help you understand someone else's pain. The failure you regret may give someone else wisdom. The season when you felt alone may help you recognize someone who feels invisible.

We don't have to pretend the pain was good. But we can trust that God is good enough to redeem it.

Maybe that's the question worth carrying this week:

What if God doesn't intend to waste anything I've been through?

There's more to Joseph's story than we can explore in a short article. Take some time to watch this week's message, When God's Purpose is Revealed, and see how Genesis 41 reveals what God was doing behind the scenes in Joseph's life.

You may discover that the season you're in right now isn't simply something you're trying to get through. It may be something God is using to prepare you for what comes next.

And as you continue through Joseph's story, remember: