Until the time comes to fulfill God’s promises in our lives, we will enter seasons of testing to see if our character is aligned with God’s promise. Some of those tests can derail the fulfillment of God’s promises if our character has not been aligned with God’s word. The merging of promise and character is where profound outcomes will appear.
When a famine came and destroyed regional food supplies, the Lord sent Joseph ahead of the nation of Israel to secure food and ensure the survival of the nation. At the time, Joseph did not yet know that was his calling. In his journey, the first step took place when his brothers sold him into slavery. Joseph was taken as a captive to Egypt where he was sold as a slave.
When Joseph arrived in Egypt, “They bruised his feet with shackles, his neck was put in irons. Until the time came to fulfill God’s word, the Lord tested Joseph’s character” (Psalm 105: 18-19). At this point, many would give up on God and His promises thinking the negative events of their life were the end of God’s blessing.
Joseph was bought as a slave by a man named Potiphar who “made him master of his household, ruler over all he possessed” (vs 21). It was the blessings of God that opened unforeseen doors for Joseph, “The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field” (Genesis 39:5). Not only was Joseph’s character tested while caring for Potiphar’s physical possessions, but he was also tested sexually when he refused Potiphar’s wife’s attempt to seduce him. After he was falsely accused of seduction, Joseph was sent back to prison. Once again, the Lord delivered Joseph from prison. He was placed in the king’s palace to rule the nation because he had proved himself to be a trustworthy person. It was in the king’s trust that Joseph’s decisions would save both Israel and Egypt.
Joseph’s life demonstrated a life committed to the promises of God and His word no matter what painful event he experienced along the way. Joseph is a model for us of what happens when our character and God’s promises align and lead us into the future. The greatest rewards always follow the greatest tests of our faith.
The space between the promise and fulfillment. We hear the promise and we want it immediately, forgetting that there’s a journey between. Beautiful word. Thank you.
Wooow, this is so true. We need to pass the test first for God to trust us with generational blessing; once our characters are in alignment with God’s will then the greatest reward is released. Thank you for sharing this revelation
Wooow, this is so true. We need to pass the test first for God to trust us with generational blessing; once our characters are in alignment with God’s will then the greatest reward is released. Thank you for sharing this revelation