NOTHING HAPPENS

A father took his young son to plant green bean seeds. The seeds sprouted, and the next morning the stem could be seen. The next morning, the stem grew taller and two leaves appeared. This morning, his young son was sad, thinking that the plant had died because nothing happened. While stroking his hair, his father said, 'Son, look at the plant again tomorrow morning.'

Nothing happening to the plant does not mean the plant is dead. It is still growing, just in parts that are not clearly visible, like stem enlargement or leaf widening. The same goes for our lives. Nothing happening does not mean that God has stopped working. His hands are still skillfully doing something, only the results are not obvious. Looking at Joseph's experience will make us understand more. After interpreting the dreams of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker of the king, Joseph did not see any change in his situation. He still had to languish in prison. Specifically, he was forgotten by the chief cupbearer whose position was restored (Gen. 40:8-19, 23). Two years later, he was summoned to the palace to interpret Pharaoh's dream, the king's (v. 14). Later, he was appointed ruler over all the land of Egypt (Gen. 41:41).

It turns out that for two years, God worked on Joseph's character. As a result, when he came out of prison, Joseph humbly acknowledged the sovereignty of God and willingly forgave his brothers (v. 16; Gen. 45:4-5). Whatever part of our lives God is working on right now, He is continuously working to ultimately bring about good. So let us not be disappointed if nothing happens after we pray. --LIN/www.renunganharian.net