Good afternoon. Please turn your Bibles to Genesis chapter 40 and we will read the entire chapter.
Some time after this, the cupbearer of the king of Egypt and his baker committed an offense against their lord the king of Egypt. And Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, and he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison where Joseph was confined. The captain of the guard appointed Joseph to be with them, and he attended them. They continued for some time in custody. And one night they both dreamed—the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison—each his own dream, and each dream with its own interpretation. When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were troubled. So he asked Pharaoh’s officers who were with him in custody in his master’s house, “Why are your faces downcast today?” They said to him, “We have had dreams, and there is no one to interpret them.” And Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me.” So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph and said to him, “In my dream there was a vine before me, and on the vine there were three branches. As soon as it budded, its blossoms shot forth, and the clusters ripened into grapes. Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup and placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.” Then Joseph said to him, “This is its interpretation: the three branches are three days. In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your office, and you shall place Pharaoh’s cup in his hand as formerly, when you were his cupbearer. Only remember me, when it is well with you, and please do me the kindness to mention me to Pharaoh, and so get me out of this house. For I was indeed stolen out of the land of the Hebrews, and here also I have done nothing that they should put me into the pit.” When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was favourable, he said to Joseph, “I also had a dream: there were three cake baskets on my head, and in the uppermost basket there were all sorts of baked food for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating it out of the basket on my head.” And Joseph answered and said, “This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days. In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head—from you!—and hang you on a tree. And the birds will eat the flesh from you.” On the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, he made a feast for all his servants and lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants. He restored the chief cupbearer to his position, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand. But he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them. Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.
The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.
The two officers: the chief cupbearer and the chief baker had a dream and Joseph had interpreted the dreams of the two officers. The interpretation of the chief baker’s dream was that in three days, the Pharaoh will release him. That’s what it means when it says that Pharaoh will lift up your head, he will be released and he will be able to approach the king. He will be released and he will be hanged on a tree. Basically, the baker will be executed. On the other hand, the chief cupbearer in three days, this is the interpretation, that he will be released and he will be restored to his old position. And so Joseph said to the chief cupbearer in verse 14 after giving the interpretation, before the three days, before they were released in verse 14. Joseph said: Only remember me when it is well with you and please do me the kindness to mention me to Pharaoh and so get me out of this house. Joseph said ‘do me the kindness.’ In fact the word that was used here is the same word for “covenant,” for faithfulness. He’s like saying: remember me, be faithful to our agreement, remember me when you are released; mention me to Pharaoh. And so when the prophecies came true after three days, the baker was indeed hanged on the tree and the cup bearer was restored. However, verse 23 tells us yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph but forgot him. It seems redundant, right. The cupbearer did not remember him, did not remember Joseph, but forgot him. Really, the writer was emphasising something. Hindi lang siya kinalimutan ni cupbearer, kinalimutan siya ni cupbearer ang ibig sabihin, right. So ganun ang nangyari kay Joseph. And so how long did he have to wait after they’re released? chapter 41, the next chapter, the the first verse tells us after two whole years, right. So right after Joseph makes that agreement or even plea to the cupbearer— remember me cupbearer, when you are released, mention me to Pharaoh and then after two whole years, Joseph had to stay in prison forgotten, right. However, he was remembered by the chief cupbearer after two whole years and the chief cupbearer told Pharaoh that Joseph was able to interpret dreams that’s in chapter 41. And eventually as we know Joseph got released, and Joseph was given power and authority over the entire Egypt. Yes, Joseph waited for two more years after he interpreted the dream of the cupbearer, two more years. But really, Joseph had been waiting for more than two years already. That’s the truth here. In fact, more than two years na siyang naghihintay. Take note that Joseph knew already what was going to happen. Remember when Joseph had the dream, he dreamed about the sheaths bowing to him. He dreamed about the moon and the stars bowing to him. Therefore, he had an idea what’s going to happen in the future. In fact his father and his brothers were able to interpret it, right. Remember what his father and brother said to him? Does this mean that you will rule over us? That you will reign over us? So they interpreted it. Of course Joseph understood it as well. Joseph knows what’s gonna happen in the future. He didn’t just wait for two years! He was sold when he was 17 years old. He became a leader in Egypt 30 years old. So that was a long wait. Hindi lang two years ang pinag-uusapan po natin dito. This means that he spent lots of years as a slave in Potiphar’s house and also many years in prison. Hindi sinasabi sa Scripture kung gaano katagal siya sa household ni Potiphar, gaano siya katagal sa prison, but the whole 13 years ay combination of his slavery and imprisonment. This means that he waited for so long. And now that he met someone who he know will be restored in the next three days, that was very close to Pharaoh, he saw that as an opportunity… he said: remember me and yet he was forgotten. Joseph was forgotten. Joseph had to wait for another two years.
I’m sure for many of us we have experienced waiting upon the Lord that it seems like God wasn’t there. That God wasn’t answering our prayers. Like David when he was in agony, when he needed help from all of his troubles. Psalm Chapter 13 Verse 1 onwards David said How long, O Lord? Gaano katagal, o Diyos? How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? I’m sure if Joseph shared the same heart as David, Joseph would have, probably said the same thing. 13 years? That’s a long way. Now does this mean that God is a forgetful God, na makakalimutin an Diyos, na marahil nakalimutan Niya talaga si Joseph. Does this mean that there’s no value also in waiting? Did God forget His people? Meron ba Siyang capacity to
even forget His people? God willing ito yung mga tanong na masagot natin ngayon hapon. Ang mensahe ko ngayong hapon para sa lahat, na maintindihan natin that there is an intention during this time of waiting. We can see that there is a purpose why Joseph had to wait. And I pray and I hope that we can also see yung mga waiting natin sa ating mga sariling.. sa state of life natin, phase of our lives if we are indeed in such face of waiting upon the Lord, that we can say na oh my purpose ang Panginoon sa mga oras na ito. Ang message ngayong hapon is that God’s Intention When We Wait Upon Him Is Our Sanctification. God’s intention when we wait upon Him during that waiting period, His intention is our sanctification. Now in what way are we sanctified through waiting? I have two points. Firstly, it is For our Transformation and For Preparation.
Let’s consider the first one For Transformation. So Joseph spent many years being a slave under the authority of Potiphar. He spent many years as a prisoner as well. Such years could have affected his character. Those years could have turned him into a person who siguro someone who complains a lot. Ano ba naman ito, ba’t naman gan’to yung kulungan dito? Ba’t naman gan’to yung bahay ni Potiphar? Those years could have turned him into an unrighteous man, someone who could have rebelled against God. Ganito yung binigay Mong revelations sa akin..ba’t nandito ako? No one is bowing. May authority ako pero wala namang nagb-bow sa akin. But that wasn’t the case with Joseph. So again see Joseph, matagal siyang nakakulong, matagal siyang naging slave. If siguro kung tayo yung nandoon, marahil iba ang naging epekto noon. Joseph was really a righteous man, a faithful man. Compared siguro at times sa atin, konting, kumbaga may uncomfortable lang na nangyari sa atin, we would complain a lot and then it would, you know, maaapektuhan ang character natin because of what’s going on in our lives. Add to that, yung katagalan, yung nangyayaring yun, yung long wait na iyon. Iba si Joseph. In fact, verse 7, he asked the two officers..siya pa yung nagtanong; sabi niya: why are your faces downcast today, right. That’s coming from someone who has been in prison for years. Oh bakit parang ang lungkot niyo ngayon, right? He was an encourager inside the prison. He thought of others. And when the two officers, after noon, yung two officers naghahanap pa sila ng dream interpreters… Joseph who recognises the sovereignty of God, Joseph who understands and knows who the source of revelation is. Who himself had firsthand experience of receiving such revelation and the dream interpretation. Sinabi niya sa mga officers in verse 8: Do not interpretations belong to God? Okay. So nakikita natin doon how,, kitang-kita yung character ni Joseph that he thinks of others, he understands…kita natin yung change kay Joseph na iniisip niya yung iba, hindi lang yun, he understands. He understood kung Kanino galing yung mga interpretation na ito, right.
Kumbaga the officers were talking to someone who is, we can say very experienced sa kaniyang relationship sa Diyos. And such experience ay mag- gain lamang through the long years, right. Kung walang mahabang mga taon at ilang taon, probably a different Joseph could have responded differently, baka iba ang kaniyang sagot, okay.
So see the growth. In fact next chapter, makikita natin when Pharaoh gave his dream and when Joseph interpreted the dream, sabi ni Joseph Genesis chapter 41 verse 16 “It is not in me sabi ni Joseph; I can give you the interpretation but at the end of the day, it doesn’t come from me. God will give Pharaoh a favourable answer.” So see the character, the growth of Joseph. He was thinking of others, he was dependent on the Lord. This is the growth of someone who has been what, hated by his brothers. Someone who has been sold by his brothers, someone who has been accused falsely by the wife of Potiphar. Growth of someone who instead of minding all the unfavored situations he had, instead of complaining about what he’s gone through, he was relying on God. It is the growth of someone who waited upon the Lord. A very experienced, faithful Christian man. See how Waiting Makes Us Realise The Things Do Not Depend On Us But On God.
His character was becoming more and more like the character of the One to come. He was being conformed to the Messiah Who was promised by God to his fathers. The Messiah who in our time has already come and has shown us what holiness is like. In fact he’s better than Joseph, for Joseph as we know remained a sinner despite the righteous character he has shown. The Messiah who is Christ lived the holy life no sins at all, He also thought of others to the point that He thought His people that He died on the cross. He died for those who are downcast, the church. Christ who Himself depended on the will of the Father.
That’s what Christ has done for His people. He lived the perfect life and He was the one who sacrificially, who gave Himself up for the church, so that the church will not experience or receive the wrath of God. It was Him! It was Him whom God has sent for the forgiveness of our sins. So if you’re not in Jesus Christ, there is no forgiveness.. There is no salvation, there is no redemption. You’re not a child of God. You remained to be a child of Satan, the devil. Unless you repent of your sins and come to faith In God’s provision of salvation who is Jesus Christ, then you will be justified, you will be adopted from the household of Satan now into the household of God.
So si Joseph also is a child of God at yun ang pinapakita ni Joseph na character dito. Ultimately, he’s just imitating his Creator. Ultimately, he’s just creating his God who was about to come the Messiah, the God man who is Jesus Christ. So we see here his life and it was necessary for Joseph to wait that long.
Necessary for Joseph in order for him to develop such character to be thoughtful of others, to be dependent on God, to know who the source is of such revelations, to experience everything that he has experienced, para maging righteous man siya. Necessary yung 13 years! It was necessary for Joseph to wait that long in order for him to be a better man of God. The long wait and the trials during the wait, were useful for his sanctification. Imagine! Just imagine this— if after his dream, right after being put into the pit, what if God has immediately given him power over all Egypt? I mean biglaan na lang? Would he be more compassionate toward his brothers? Would he be more forgiving? Would there be a time of reflection and dependence upon God if the power was given to him immediately? If he rose to power at naging second in command siya in Egypt immediately right after the pit, dire-diretso na siya sa trono? Will he be a more compassionate Joseph? Will he think of others, of his brothers? God had to make him wait. It was necessary, the weight was necessary for Joseph to become a faithful man of God.
Before a caterpillar transforms into a butterfly, it must undergo a change and that change happens during the pupa stage. If it is inside the covering or chrysalis, the insect won’t be able to immediately get out of it. It needs to be transformed inside while waiting for weeks or even months before it becomes a butterfly. But the pupal window was necessary. There won’t be a butterfly if not for that time of waiting. Same is true for us Christians while we wait upon the Lord. The waiting is what God uses for us to realise that as creatures, we must depend alone on God. And God uses that waiting for our sanctification. And so the challenge presented to us to cultivate dependence on God as we wait upon the Lord. Our assurance that God has not forgotten us is that during the waiting period, we are being transformed into the likeness of Christ. So does God remember us? The answer is yes! Sometimes it seems as if God has forgotten us when we are struggling with sin or when we are suffering, it seems as if the graces of God are not present… it seems! But that’s far from the truth. Because He uses such period for the caterpillar to become a butterfly for you to become a more faithful man and woman of God. The problem is you and I do not want to wait. I don’t want to wait for our lives to be over. We don’t want to wait.
Let’s admit it, we are impatient men and women, single men, single women, husband, wife, parent, child, we are an impatient church. All of us struggle with impatience, especially with the technology now, there are many instants: instant noodles, instant coffee, right. Ayaw mong mag-spend pa ng ilang minuto. Gusto mo mabilisan lahat, right. Ni ayaw na nga pumunta ng tindahan. Gusto mo i- Lazada na, gusto mo isang tap na lang, nandiyan na sa doorstep, right. Yung kasi ang gusto natin. I’m not saying it is bad. Pero nasanay na tayo. So konting hintay na lamang, mga ilang minuto lang na hintay, aggravated na tayo ang tagal. Pero isang minuto lang iyon. We’re so accustomed to this fast-paced environment that a minute of waiting is already frustrating for all of us. And so when God wants us to wait, doon na nagkakaprublema, we don’t want to. We don’t submit, we don’t yield to God’s sanctification through waiting. So when we pray at times, that God would bless us with a job and by the way that’s not a bad prayer, right. You can pray for that. I mean God told us to pray, for us to pray for God to give us our daily bread. Of course kailangan natin yung job. Nothing wrong to pray for it. Lord, may you bless me with a good job where I can be submissive to my Earthly master when I can truly be used by You. There’s nothing wrong in such prayers. And yet if it doesn’t come at our desired time, we get frustrated. Hindi pa tumatawag sa akin, akala ko tanggap na ako, sabi sa akin, tatawagan na lang po kayo. Akala ko totoo yun. When we pray for God to give us daily provisions, and then when it feels like we lack provisions, it seems like God is absent. It sees as if God was not answering the prayers which is also not true. Because the waiting, as you wait, that is already giving you the answer that you must yield to such waiting for your sanctification my friend, brethren. When we pray for healing, that God would heal us that, God would heal our family members. It seems like it’s not happening and maybe you have to think and evaluate. The waiting is necessary. And you know God may or may not give. God may or may not heal.
But see what’s important is that the concern of God is our sanctification. Without the waiting, we will not be dependent on God. It will not probably cause us to come to Him. It will not probably cause us to pray to Him.
Will we ask the Lord to remove such afflictions? When we ask the Lord for strength to mortify this sin, na ang hirap patayin ng sin na ito. Lord, could you please give me strength, enable me. When we ask the Lord to liberate us from suffering but it’s like God has forgotten us. Oh we know the answer God has not forgotten us. The waiting time is necessary for you to depend all the more to God. The waiting time should make you more dependent on God. If not for times of waiting, you may think that you are in control of your life. The waiting is necessary for you to remember that the One in control is God. And in Christ, you are enabled to yield to such sanctifying period of your life.
As you wait upon the Lord whether there’s provision or not when we pray, God’s concern is for your sanctification. What’s important is that as you wait upon the Lord depending on Him, your faith increases. And that you become more and more like your Saviour Jesus Christ. You know we have been mentioning in the past sermons and it was even mentioned this morning. That trials come to us…that trials cause us to come to God more, to pray to God more, right. Yun ang nagagawa ng trials sa atin. It is for our sanctification, yes. But let’s, let’s take that a step further… prolong the trials. Prolong it! Yun yung waiting to the point that you have to wait for days, for weeks, probably for years. But there’s one truth that remains. God has not forgotten you. In your waiting, God is molding your character if you are in Jesus Christ.
Remember Abraham who was promised by God a son and he spent many decades before that promise was given. But we can see how the years of waiting has changed him into a righteous man. That the New Testament calls Abraham as a friend of God because Abraham believed in God and God has counted it to him as righteousness. There was a, Abraham’s character truly developed and that’s what’s important.
Are you in a situation where you are waiting for the Lord? Are you waiting for God’s provision of a job, of daily bread? Are you waiting for God to deliver you from the suffering that you’re going through? Let me remind you of the beauty of waiting. You wait so that all your dependence be upon Him and on Christ alone.
My last point is awaiting is For Preparation. So when Joseph was in the house of Jacob, when he was with his brothers, he was made as an overseer. He was, he was made as a manager of his brothers. Kaya nga napikon yung mga kapatid niya. Nagselos sa kaniya, tinapon siya sa pit. And then binenta siya kay Potiphar. Ito naman nangyari..he became an overseer also of that household.
And then na-accuse naman siya na nang-rape daw siya, nakulong siya. And then he became again an overseer in that prison. Suki ng overseer, pagiging overseer si Joseph. So in the later chapters, we will learn that after he interpreted the dreams of Pharaoh, he was made again an overseer of the entire nation, country of Egypt. I mean it was obvious brethren. That in Joseph’s waiting, there was preparation. Imagine again, imagine again if after the dream, if after his dream, right after being put into the pit, imagine if God has immediately given him power over Egypt. Would he be trained enough to be able to handle such greater responsibility if he becomes an overseer in the whole nation of Egypt? God had to make him wait.
Here’s the reason why Joseph had to be trained for years. Overseer ng bahay ni Jacob, overseer ng bahay ni Potiphar, overseer ng prison, overseer, leader of Egypt. Eto yung rason. We read this verse before, I want us to go there again. Genesis chapter 50 verse 20. As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good. We know, we’ve learned this passage before that his brothers meant what they did for evil. They meant it evil against Joseph, and yet God used the same scenario, same situation and meant it for good. What for? It says to bring it about that many people should be kept alive as they are today. Joseph waited long to be prepared for the salvation of many people. In that case, many people will be saved from the severe famine that was to come. That Joseph was to become the leader of Egypt and the one responsible for the storing up of food for the seven years of plenty so that even the people or the household of Jacob would be fed, right. Na-save. Ginamit ng Diyos yung long period na naghihintay si Joseph to train him to become a better overseer in Egypt, to become a better leader Egypt, primarily to save God’s people. This happened in order for Jacob and his family to be saved so that the people of God are saved from famine.
Now isn’t this also evident in God’s in, in the work of God in the life of the church? That we go through trials in life and we wait upon the Lord. We engage in spiritual warfare and we experience God’s enabled, God-enabled victories in spiritual battles that we are able to mortify our sins as God has enabled us and God then God uses us. God uses us for other people who are also going through such trials, such spiritual warfares. That’s what happens in the church. You’ve gone through such a spiritual battle because of your struggle with sin. And God has enabled you to mortify and cultivate such graces. And now here comes your brother who providentially is also struggling with such issues. And you’ve been there. You have been trained by God just like Joseph who was trained for the purpose of ministering to more people. Ganun din ang purpose ng Panginoon sa long wait, sa long period of of training to become a more faithful man and woman of God. The spiritual battles of today prepare us for a greater ministerial purpose. Sino sa atin ang nag-struggle sa issues before and yet now, praise the Lord that you have been, that you are continuously mortifying such sins at meron kang kapatid sa pananampalataya na nagkakaprublema, same issue that you had before.
Who are we even to be used by God? Sino ba tayo in the first place? Na while we are enabled by God to be sanctified, to mortify our sins, when we are comforted by God at a time that we need it, and we’re able to kumbaga malagpasan yung mga struggles na ito. Who are we for God to even use us to also strengthen others? But that’s exactly His purpose. That’s what happens as we wait upon the Lord, we at times, we don’t see this. But it is but a preparation for something greater as well as you yield to His sanctifying purpose during the waiting period. Maganda yung sinabi ni Paul sa second Corinthians chapter 1 verses three to four Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with what? with the same comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
We have received such sanctifying graces from the Lord’s so that we too can be instruments of God for others, for our brothers and sisters. But first, just to clarify, there is no training, there is no preparation if you are not in Jesus Christ. Trials for you remain difficult. And you won’t have any hope. What trials do in your is that they all the more show your guilt because your response will always be sinful because they are not done in faith. And so receive the graces of God, His comfort, His assurance, His strengthening, receive salvation from God through Christ who died on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins. Repent of your sins and come to faith in Him. And if you are in Christ, know that as you wait upon the Lord, you are being prepared in your sanctification because God uses people for His people. As a challenge, See The Providential Work Of The Lord In Your Ministry To Others. See and appreciate God’s work. You may be a husband, a wife, or a son, or a daughter, a parent, a single man, a single woman who struggled with sin before and God has helped you be sanctified. And that has become a training for you. You may have waited for a long time but that was a training for you. Hebrews chapter 12 tells us that you go through struggles in life, but as you went through it, there will be fruits of righteousness because you have been trained, Hebrews 12 tells us. Again, the period has become a training for you and that you find yourself helping a struggling husband, struggling wife, struggling son, daughter, parents, single man, or single woman. That is the work of the Lord. My challenge is for you to go back and see the providential work of God during those trials and see His work, how He uses His people for the growth of His people. At the end of the day it isn’t you, it is God.
When Richard Phillips was mentioning in his sermon the life of Hudson Taylor, he was mentioning that, sinasabi niya na si Hudson Taylor was a, he was a missionary in China. So kinukwento niya na that Hudson Taylor spent six years in China for his ministry, for his mission. Si Hudson Taylor, sumama yung kaniyang health nung nandun siya sa China. It was very discouraging for Hudson Taylor.
He felt like all the doors have been closed for him. But then after that six years, when he looked back on the years of mission in China, ang sabi ni Hudson Taylor: “Without those hidden years, without those growth and testing, how can the vision and enthusiasm of youth been matured for the leadership that God intended there to be.” He recognised that the long wait there was not in vain. It felt like it when he was there. But then he realised after, oh he was being trained by God. He became more mature at the end, but also he’s adding that He trained him to be a better leader. That’s what Hudson Taylor was saying. And indeed, the result of Hudson Taylor’s ministry in China is being experienced up until now.
May resulta ang kaniyang ministry. And so my question for all of you brothers and sisters, magpapagamit ka ba sa Diyos? Would you carry the burden, a burden that is very familiar to you. A burden that is being carried by your brother or by your sister pero very familiar ka doon kasi dumaan ka dun heh. Are you be willing to carry it for your brother and for your sister in Christ? Will you also carry it to help, to help the one who’s struggling?
May all of us heed the call of service. And as we hear this challenge may you not forget to see and appreciate God’s victory over your sins. And how such victory also extends to others. Brothers, sisters, tignan niyo yung multi-purpose providence ng Diyos. Sa ating paghihintay, we are what? Being transformed, we are being sanctified, we are being more made dependent on Him. Not only that, we are being trained also for others. Let’s go back to our question. Knowing all of these, has God forgotten us? Na kapag tayo ay naghihintay sa Diyos, that it seems as if He abandoned us, totoo ba na nakalimutan Niya tayo? Knowing that waiting is our sanctification. Knowing that the waiting is our preparation, has God forgotten us? Lord have you forgotten us? When we even doubt and wonder whether God has forgotten us, and at times we, we may waver in our faith and say, ‘Lord remember me.’ Well we know the answer. God does remember us. In fact, He never forgets us. And brethren, the only reason why God remembers His people is because of this: that as Joseph was in prison with two convicts, there is this better Joseph, Jesus Christ who was on the cross with two convicts. Just as one of the officers in the prison was put to death, and the other one was saved, so also the sinners with Christ on those crosses, one eternally dies and one eternally lives. Joseph asked the cupbearer only remember me when you go to Pharaoh. On the cross, we have this reversal. It was the theif on the cross who said Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. And Jesus replied with this great assurance, and this is what we have, this is the reason why we can say that Christ and God is with us. Jesus replied with great assurance to the thief on the cross: “truly I say to you today you will be with me in paradise.” Christ was saying oh, I will indeed remember you. In fact I am with you, I will be with you. Well during that time, the repentant thief was indeed saved and he immediately enjoyed the presence of Christ. Brethren the same is true for us, that Christ’s presence is not to be enjoyed later, but also today. For while we wait upon Him, we are being sanctified and trained by Him. And we know that this is true and this is our assurance in waiting. Because He is with us as He has promised the thief on the cross. And that there is not a time that Christ forgets His people. May the word of God enrich our knowledge of Him and may it stir us to live in light of these truths.
Let us pray. Our great God and gracious Father, thank You for not forgetting Your people. Thank You for the assurance that You are always with us. That even at the time when we feel like You have abandoned us, Lord we admit that we have been sinning whenever we think of that, because that is not true at all. So Lord thank You for the assurance that You never forget Your people. And that we know that You never forget us because during as we wait upon You, Lord You are transforming us and You are preparing us for a greater ministerial purpose. So Lord thank You for this great truth. May You find us faithful. Lord, may this church continue to be faithful in the word. May You continue to sanctify each and every one. May all of us O Lord, appreciate the comfort and the graces that You have given us and also be used by You oh Lord, to also preach and proclaim the word to give comfort to others as well especially to our brethren. So thank You for our for what Christ has done for us. May we always look to Him. May we always look to the cross so that we will never lose hope, so that we will never doubt whether You are with us or not. So Lord thank You for Your grace and mercy in our lives we pray this in Jesus’ Name, amen.