All too often we think God has abandoned us. We wonder why He has left us in the wilderness, why He has forgotten His promises. Like the disciples, when the storm rages, we wonder if Jesus is really bothered about us:
“Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” Mark 4:38
Joseph had a terribly tough time. He was hated, attacked, forced into slavery, falsely accused, imprisoned and forgotten. He was aged 17 when everything went wrong. You could argue that he spent the prime of his life in prison.
GOD’S TRANSFORMERS
We could do a ‘before’ and ‘after’ sketch of Joseph. Before the trials began, you could be forgiven for describing him as self-absorbed and arrogant. As he exited those awful days of affliction, I think we would all agree that he was wise, considerate and kind.
God is never the author of anything evil but He uses tough times to transform us. Joseph was changed through trial and tribulation. So when promotion eventually came knocking on Joseph’s prison door, he was ready for his destiny.
PRESSURE
Pain and hardship moulded Joseph into a man of great character and compassion that was capable of leading an entire nation to safety.
It wasn’t just Joseph who needed a process to perfect his character. God used the years of remorse and regret to do a work in his brothers too. After all, they had mighty destinies to fulfil and needed to become men who could carry the anointing and lead their tribes.
The very same Judah who suggested they sell Joseph and profit out of his calamity, offered to ransom himself for Benjamin 22 years later (Genesis 43:9). He was a different man. Life changed him into an honourable and selfless person, someone God could use.
ON STAFF
2 Corinthians 4:17 says that: “Our light affliction… is working for us…” When someone works for me, they are charged with fulfilling my requirements. This verse says that pain and pressure actually work for us and not against us. Trials transform us.
While God does not create calamity, He uses difficulty, delay and disappointment to get us ready for destiny. He uses hardship to build resilience and maturity. He uses the strains of a difficult life to prepare us for the abundant life.
PROCESS
However tough it gets, remember that your heavenly Father is with you. Just like Jesus was with the disciples during the storm, so the Holy Spirit is with you through every valley and wilderness.
In the process, He is preparing you for your destiny so that when your day dawns, you will be ready to rise up strong. If you want to be free from inner issues that may be holding you back, get hold of our books and come to our events.
