“Until the time came to fulfill his dreams, the Lord tested Joseph’s character” (Psalm 105:19).

The more impactful the fulfillment of a dream will be the more intense the testing of our character will become as God moves us forward toward a time and place of fulfillment. The Lord uses the testing of our character to prepare us to be able to handle the duties we will be assigned once we are in a place where we are living out the fulfillment of a dream. 

Before Joseph could be used by God to save Israel from a devastating famine he would be abandoned by his brothers, sold to slave traders, and eventually bought by Potiphar to serve in his household. Only by keeping his heart focused on God, not the hardships of his journey or the enticements of life, would he be able to take the next steps toward the fulfillment of the dream he was given. When it seemed all was good and well and on track, Potiphar’s wife shows up to test Joseph. His response was to run from temptation. The successful test of Josephs’ character landed him in prison. Passing the tests of our character do not always take us to comfortable destinations.

The fulfillment of a dream God gives us is not for us alone. The fulfillment will affect our friends, families, and in some cases, entire nations. No dream is fulfilled without a testing process. At some point, we may find ourselves in what feels like a prison because we chose to do the right thing. In that dark place the dream is still alive for those who choose to believe.

Like it was for Joseph and will be for us, the turnaround event will take place in our personal prison cell, whatever that prison cell might be. Because Joseph remained faithful to the Lord and continued to pass the tests of his integrity, God would be faithful to call Joseph from the prison at just the right time to promote him and use him as a faithful instrument in His hands to save the nation of Israel. 

The tests of our character are doorways into the future fulfillment of God’s purpose for our lives – doorways that can only be opened when our character has passed the test and we have been proven trustworthy.