God is still in the business of surprising human beings with good news. News not expected, but that which revives a person’s soul and spirit.
Life’s journey consists of ups and downs. It can be rosy or rough. Sometimes, you think you are on top of the world, then comes the down time. However, during your down time, you have to summon courage rather than being discouraged or quit. There are moments you have to move past your past and walk your way up and into the future.
Moreover, there are moments you have to keep moving past an unrealistic hope and move into the hope backed by faith in God. Jacob had moved past the hope of seeing Joseph again. Why?
- Joseph’s coat of many colors was soaked in blood and brought to Jacob to identify – an indication that Joseph had been killed by a wild beast.
- It has been over 22 years before the news of Joseph being alive was brought to Jacob.
- He had moved pass the hope of seeing Joseph again.
- The report that Joseph was alive had not convinced Jacob not until he saw the carts which Joseph had sent to carry him
Many of us find ourselves in the situation of “hope against hope”; although, there may be hope of seeing a person not declared dead. In the case of Joseph, his cloth that was soaked in blood is an evidence that he was dead and would never be seen again.
Miraculous restoration
I have come to tell you that though you have lost hope in one thing or the other, you must hope in God to do something better than what you have lost. A dashed hope by your reasoning can still be revived and become a reality again if you transfer that lost hope to hope in God.
Hence, the good news came to Jacob that Joseph was still alive when all about Joseph was a closed chapter in the family. See how the scripture stated it,
“So they went up out of Egypt and came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan. They told him, “Joseph is still alive! In fact, he is ruler of all Egypt.” Jacob was stunned; he did not believe them. But when they told him everything Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts Joseph had sent to carry him back, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. (Gen. 45:25-27)
A hope becoming a reality is a soul and spirit reviver
Hope or hopefulness becoming a reality is a soul and spirit revival. Good news is a soul and spirit reviver that terminates the source and pains of sorrow in a person’s life. When your spirit and soul is revived, you are encouraged and energized to do what has been impossible for you to do.
The loss of a precious thing must not stop you from fulfilling your purpose of existence. Life continues. Every event is part of a passage of life.
God restores our losses
God is always in the business of restoring our losses, especially when we put our trust and hope in him. How God restores cannot be preempted by man. He makes impossibility to be possible, extraordinarily beyond imagination.
There is no way any person would have predicted to Jacob that he would see Joseph again, he would not believe. The report that Joseph was alive did not convince Jacob not until he saw the carts which Joseph had sent to carry him. Only God can do it. The Bible stated, “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me? (Jer. 32:27)
The joy of the Lord overwhelmed Jacob; the Bible stated that “Jacob was stunned; he did not believe them”. That is what happens when you suddenly hear good news unexpectedly. What does the good news bring? Joy.
Furthermore, the scripture stated,
“When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion,
We were like those who dream.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
And our tongue with singing.
Then they said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them.” (Ps. 126:1)
- Who could ever believe that Sarah would bear a child to Abraham when every chance of her child bearing was dead? (Heb. 11:11)
- To Job, God restored his losses to him in double folds. (Job 42:10)
- Lazarus was raised up from grave four days after he had been dead. Imagine the joy that would fill the heart of Mary and Martha that day? (John 11)
There is nothing God cannot do
What is it that seems to be dead or about to die? What was that hope that you seem to have lost? What is that thing that is giving you pain in the heart, sorrow, fear, anxiety and worries? Is it a longing quest, unsuccessful exploration, barrenness, failure, sickness, disappointment? Or is it a lost hope of what a human being had written off that cannot be worked out anymore – failed interview, failed examination, loss of loved one, marital problem, problematic child? When it happens, what should you do ?
Hope in God for good news to revive your soul and spirit.
Prayer
God Who revived the spirit and soul of Jacob when he heard the good news that Joseph was still living is still in the business of restoring our losses. You will hear good news that will revive your spirit and soul from Him today. You will receive the good news that will satisfy your longings in Jesus’ name.
By Lawrence Abitogun
lawrenceabitogun.com or christianedification .org