The Furnace of LeadershipSýnishorn

When the Wait Wasn’t Wasted After All

Two full years. That’s how long Joseph sat in the silence. No updates. No apologies. No open doors. Just the echo of being forgotten… again.

But then, suddenly—Pharaoh dreams. No one can explain it. And the cupbearer remembers. And just like that, everything changes.

Joseph is summoned. Cleaned up. Pulled from the pit and brought before the most powerful man in the world. And when Pharaoh asks for help, Joseph doesn’t try to shine. He points to God. “I cannot do it,” he says. “But God will.”

Only someone who’s walked with God in the darkness can speak with that kind of confidence in the light. This is what waiting does. It humbles you. Refines you. Breaks every trace of self-dependence. Joseph came into Egypt as a dreamer full of vision. He stands before Pharaoh as a leader full of wisdom. Not because of power—but because of presence. God’s presence. And suddenly, every unanswered prayer, every unfair moment, every year in the dark makes sense.

Dear leader, my encouragement to you today is this: If you’re in a waiting season—don’t rush it. God is not wasting your delay. He’s shaping you for the very thing He’s preparing for you. And when the moment comes, you’ll be ready to carry it—not in your strength, but in His.

Reflection/Discussion Questions:

• What has your waiting season revealed about your trust in God’s timing?
• Are you more focused on the doors you want God to open—or on becoming the kind of leader who can walk through them wisely?
• How can you echo Joseph’s posture today: “I cannot do it… but God will”?