Corona Devo 1880
Until the time came to fulfill his dreams, the Lord tested Joseph’s character. ~Psalm 105:19
Raise your (tired/fettered/tied) hand if your character is being tested today.
Raise your eyes/heart/spirit if your character has been being tested for days or months or years.
The Bible reminds (and gives us examples today!) of the truth that our time will come. And until that time...God may be testing our character.
What do we think of that?
It could infuriate or frustrate us. Or: to know that our God is working on our character (so that we might more accurately represent Him)...that knowledge can be power in our lives and hearts and attitudes today.
If we can have faith in our God and in the truth and promise that He is in the process of fulfilling our dreams...if we can know and believe that today, then we are going to be okay today.
Until the time came to fulfill his dreams, the Lord tested Joseph’s character. ~Psalm 105:19
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Joseph did not have it easy in the wait for his dreams. Raise your hand if life ain't easy today.
He called for a famine on the land of Canaan, cutting off its food supply. (17) Then he sent someone to Egypt ahead of them—Joseph, who was sold as a slave. (18) They bruised his feet with fetters and placed his neck in an iron collar. (19) Until the time came to fulfill his dreams, the Lord tested Joseph’s character. ~Psalm 105:16-19
No--Joseph did not have it easy, but his dreams were then fulfilled...
Then Pharaoh sent for him and set him free; the ruler of the nation opened his prison door. (21) Joseph was put in charge of all the king’s household; he became ruler over all the king’s possessions. (22) He could instruct the king’s aides as he pleased and teach the king’s advisers. ~Psalm 105:20-22
The time did come when Joseph's dreams were fulfilled. He had to wait for it. And his character was tested until that time...but that time did come.
Ours will too.
If our character is being tested today, that is not a bad thing. It is the Lord doing a good thing.
Joseph wasn't any different from us, and he wasn't the only one that was tested before his dreams were fulfilled.
God gives us other examples in Psalm 105: Watch for Jacob. Read about Moses. Remember Abraham.
And we each have our own character-testing chapter-of-life that we can write our name into. We can join the ranks of God's people having their character tested. Watch for their dreams being fulfilled. And raise your hand if we can relate.
Then Israel arrived in Egypt; Jacob lived as a foreigner in the land of Ham. (24) And the Lord multiplied the people of Israel until they became too mighty for their enemies.
(25) Then he turned the Egyptians against the Israelites, and they plotted against the Lord’s servants. (26) But the Lord sent his servant Moses, along with Aaron, whom he had chosen. (27) They performed miraculous signs among the Egyptians, and wonders in the land of Ham...
(42) For he remembered his sacred promise to his servant Abraham. (43) So he brought his people out of Egypt with joy, his chosen ones with rejoicing. (44) He gave his people the lands of pagan nations, and they harvested crops that others had planted.
(45) All this happened so they would follow his decrees and obey his instructions. Praise the Lord! ~Psalm 105:23-27, 42-45
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Jacob lived as a foreigner, and then the Lord multiplied the people of Israel until they became too mighty for their enemies (Psalm 105:23-24). Jacob had his character tested, but then his dreams were fulfilled.
The Egyptians were against the Israelites, but God sent Moses and Aaron in, and they got to see and perform miraculous signs and wonders...and then God gave them lands and crops (Psalm 105:25-26, 44). The Israelites and Moses and Aaron had their character tested, but then their dreams were fulfilled.
Raise your (tired/fettered/tied) hand if your character is being tested today...and look around. In the pages of Scripture and sitting beside us on the bus or at work...there are others who are being tested. But, friends, our time is coming, and our dreams will be fulfilled.
Why the up and down? Why the hardship, the trials, and the testing of life that we must undergo?
God tells us, but in His holiness, He keeps it simple:
All this happened so they would follow his decrees and obey his instructions. Praise the Lord! ~Psalm 105:45
We may be having our character tested today, but this allows us an opportunity to follow his decrees and obey his instructions...and eventually--to have our dreams fulfilled.
Raise your hand if you are interested in that?
Don't give up today, even in the testing, because (ask Jacob, Moses, and Abraham), today's bad dream can pave the way to tomorrow's dream fulfillment.
Blessings,
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