It takes tremendous courage to look away from circumstance and look instead to God. A good measure of our faith is having the courage to believe in a good outcome, despite all that we see. We all know it’s seldom easy to do the right thing. It takes courage and faith to stand up when the world or our circumstances want to beat us down. In all things God is there to hold us up when we rely on Him for support.
Something so simple that God has just put in my heart as I’m studying the story of Joseph is… “Lori, you are blessed beyond measure to know the outcome of Joseph’s story. In the midst of everything he suffered, My Word tells you that I was with him. You must learn from Joseph.” God was with him! Joseph learned that God could be with him in a dungeon! Hear me out, There is nothing in this world so delightful as the light of God’s countenance when all is dark. And don’t you know this is the scripture that is taped over my monitor, so I see it all the time…
“You have enclosed me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me.” Psalm 139: 5
In my internet travels, I’ve been very blessed to have stumbled upon some of Charles Spurgeon’s sermons. For those who aren’t familiar with Spurgeon, he was England’s best-known preacher for most of the second half of the nineteenth century. A powerful, powerful preacher! I feel led to share some nuggets of wisdom from Spurgeon with you, written with my own twist…
There is a refining process that takes place in an individual soul. No Christian man is all that he thinks he is. We don’t have as much faith, patience, humility, meekness, love of God, or love of men that we think we possess. It’s amazing how rich and increased of goods we are till the Lord deals with us by a trial, and this is when we discover how naked, poor, and miserable we truly are! It is God’s refining fire that is made to rage around us and burn out all of the impurities that stop us from living a godly life. It’s this refining fire that makes us put away the things of the old nature with a deep repulsion and repentance. This allows the true work of God to put us on a sure foundation, stand in God’s true beauty, and be built for eternity.
Joseph learned that the temporal things are not to be depended upon. The favoritism of his father’s house end in his being sold as a slave. His prosperity in the house of Potiphar also came to a sudden end, and from being an overseer he became a prisoner in irons. With trouble after trouble, I think we can say that he “got it;” that is, he found out that earthly good is not to be depended on. It definitely should not be the object of pursuit to an immortal soul. Joseph sees that all things under the sun change, and he learns to look to something higher and more stable than circumstances and surroundings. This is what it means to fly with God above your circumstances. We’re all slow to learn this truth. I don’t think Joseph fully learned this when he interpreted the dream of the butler. Joseph was sure to tell him, and was probably very hopeful in saying…
“And please remember me and do me a favor when things go well for you. Mention me to Pharaoh, so he might let me out of this place.” Genesis 40: 14
But the Bible tells us that the butler forgot all about Joseph, never giving him another thought. Think of how Joseph must have felt (“Cursed is he that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arm”). He turned from hoping in man, and no longer looked for any earthly help. Cost us what it may, we are great gainers by any process which enables us to say…
“My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him.” Psalm 62: 5
It is a blessed thing when Providence knocks away our earthly crutches, and brings us into our true element – how we were originally created. When this happens, we freely float upon the deep sea of God’s everlasting love and absolute faithfulness. We are no more liable to decay from the dry rot of carnal confidence, but on the broad sea of divine power.
But, dear friends, the chief use of trial to Joseph and to us is very often seen in our future lives… to be continued