I re-discovered a little verse this morning. It describes the famine in the land, and how Joseph was sent ahead to Egypt, but then waited in chains:

Ps 105:19 Until the time came to fufill his word,
the Lord tested Joseph's character. (NLT)

So in due season, at the right time, the promise would become fufilled. In the meantime, Joseph's character was tested. Then he would be ready for the fufillment of the word of the Lord. The New King James has a different twist on it....

Until the time that his word came to pass,
the word of the Lord tested him.

It almost feels to me like the prophetic word or promise itself tested Joseph. In his case, the dream that he was meant to be in a place of authority. Did he struggle as a servant or in jail for those years: "Hey wait! I was meant to be more than this!" I think I have echoed those same words many times about many prophetic promises that are still unfufilled in my life.

Can I, can we wait until the time comes for the word to be fufilled?

The last 8 days have been ones of trial and hardship and loss. However, despite that reality and some battles with fear, eventually this prayer to Jesus has burned brightly within me: “You have sweetened the suffering with your love and friendship. You have not withheld your frankincense from the myrrh; you have not left me with bitterness.”

How wonderful to know that in the hour of testing (where I have failed so many times in the last year), I passed with flying colors! That my faith is strengthened, that I have chosen to trust Him and proclaim His goodness before my brothers and sisters.

How glorious to sense His presence all around me! To sing of His sweetness and experience it, not just words. As we sang last night at the House of Prayer, “we will sing of Your beauty, we will sing of Your glory; we will sing of Your fragrance, we will sing of Your radiance.”
Beloved, He is good.

Harvest Time

Always, man dreams about the future:
what he will sow next
and where he will reap a harvest.
The planting itself is not enough;
he longs for the day of fruitfulness.

Like God, he sees that people grow too:
young boys to men,
young men to elders.
With patient shaping and instruction,
they, too, will bear much fruit.

But unlike God, he cannot see the invisible future:
he runs away from Suffering,
the most patient and fruitful of all his teachers.
He twists and turns to escape her voice
and rarely listens long enough to discover her wisdom.

My child, don't run.
After you have suffered a little while,
your Father will restore and strengthen you.
Let Suffering perform her full work,
for her harvests are always bountiful
in those who heed her words.

-klb 8/19/04, see 1 Peter 5:10