Tested Faith

Tested Faith

Until what he had said came to pass, the word of the LORD tested him. Psalm 105:19, ESV

ABRAHAM’S GREAT-GRANDSON JOSEPH experienced a similar gap between receiving a promise and seeing its fulfillment, but Joseph faced much more adverse circumstances. God had given him dreams of one day being in a position of authority and his brothers bowing down to him. But Joseph unwisely shared those dreams with his brothers, who were already jealous of him. Not long afterward, they threw him into the bottom of a pit and then sold him to a caravan passing by. Joseph ended up in slavery in Egypt, was later falsely accused of a crime, and seemed to have been forgotten in prison well over a decade after God’s promise had been given. Everything seemed to be going in the opposite direction of fulfillment.

But everything was actually moving toward fulfillment. Joseph simply couldn’t have known it based on visible circumstances. He was left to wonder. Had he made an unredeemable mistake in telling his brothers his dreams? Had he disqualified himself somehow? Had God reneged on the promise? Was it ever a promise to begin with or just a random dream? When a promise has been planted in our spirit, these questions and more inevitably swirl around in our hearts and minds. We think they demonstrate a lack of faith, but they are part of the process. Our faith is being stretched, pulled, bent, pressed, and turned in all sorts of directions, seemingly ready to break but also being prepared to endure and eventually break through. Faith that is tested is faith that stands strong. That’s what the Kingdom is built on.

Like Joseph, you may find that the fulfillment of your promise looks very different from what you could have imagined. You may also find yourself in some really dark places along the way. It’s fine to ask God questions in those dark seasons; this is a time of drawing close to him and learning to discern his voice. He may even rearrange your expectations while keeping the promise intact. Follow him on that journey. Let yourself be stretched, no matter how uncomfortable it feels. The word of the Lord is being rooted deeply into your spirit, where it was designed to flourish.

The body has two eyes, but the soul must have but one.