One thing I know is that many people are inpatient, and they outrun the ‘right time’. Many missed it at this juncture. In the outcome of their haste, people call it fate, especially, if the outcome is negative. Whereas, if they had waited and have faith in God, the outcome would have been positive.
Is this always true?
When life gets tough, strengthen yourself in the Lord – learn a lesson from Joseph’s journey of destiny – part 11. Joseph’s dream became a reality through endurance, patience and perseverance
Joseph dreamt a dream of greatness, but his own people planned to kill the dream; every unseen force (frustration, suffering, implication, covetousness, fornication etc.) tried to stop the actualization of his dream; but Joseph did not allow all those odds to stop him from fulfilling his dream. He did not allow any unpleasant circumstance to distract him from having the right attitude. He did not fall for any enticement or being seduced by the devil to stop him from fulfilling his dream.
What did he do?
He endured and persevered throughout the 13 years of an unpredictable journey of destiny. Always putting behind him and pressing forward to the mark – fulfilling his dream. The scripture encourages us,
“For the revelation awaits an appointed time;
it speaks of the end and will not prove false.
Though it lingers, wait for it;
it will certainly come and will not delay. (Hab. 2:3 NIV)
Do you have a dream, goal, mission that seems slowed down? Or the end seems blink? Are you going through a dark period or a tunnel? There is a light on the other end of the tunnel that will reveal the glory for your life. Believe and trust God, rely on him, follow His directive, fear Him, obey his commandment, avoid sin, run away from every appearance of sin; keep pressing forward and never give up.
Your dream, vision, mission, goal, or whatever undertaking you may engage in, the reality and success of it is for an appointed time. “Though it lingers, wait for it”. You cannot outrun God, or else, you will fall into diverse temptations. Hence, the reward of Joseph’s endurance and perseverance of 13 years came to fulfillment; unimaginable uplifting from the prison to the palace, from minimum to the maximum, from obscurity to prominence (Gen. 41:38-44). The scripture states,
“For His anger is but for a moment,
His favor is for life;
Weeping may endure for a night,
But joy comes in the morning.” (Ps. 30:5 NKJV)
Your situation may be like night, moment of darkness, when all things are still; moments of struggle, hardship, lack, oppression, sickness, and affliction; moments that things do not work in your favor etc. A moment like this calls for endurance and patience. No one knows how long the moment will be, but as you are putting your trust in the Lord, He will keep and uphold you until He has taken you to what and where He had prepared you for.
A moment of night will come in the journey of destiny, count that moment as God preparing and building you up for something great. Only God knows how long the length of evening to morning will be. What comes after night is the good work of God. Therefore, as your moment of night cannot be determined by anyone, including you, be patient and endure; time belongs to God.
There is always an end to a night, morning will come to reveal God’s glory, the morning of your glory. How God does His work is His own prerogative. Between your evening and morning, God is preparing you for what will be revealed in the morning, the morning of your deliverance from all negativisms.
Whatever the situation you may be passing through that seem to be called a night moment, do not ever think negative of that moment. Believe that God is doing something in your favor, your morning of joy will be revealed.
God continued to give Joseph wisdom to rule Egypt on behalf of Pharaoh. Whatever Joseph says was what Pharaoh approved. The scripture states,
“Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you.You shall be [g]over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt… “I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no man may lift his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” (Gen. 41:39-44 NKJV)
If you walk the journey of your destiny according to the plan of God for your life, God will continue to uphold you. Everything will continue to work in your favor. Despite Joseph’s mistakes of youthful unwise openness to his brothers; difficulties, suffering through implication; his imprisonment: he persevered, he kept on doing the will of God and enduring every moment. Hence, God was with him and He favored him roundabout.
The scripture states,
“… all that happens to us is working for our good if we love God and are fitting into his plans. (Rom.8:28 TLV)
Are you walking according to the plan of God in the journey of your destiny? Do the following. Trust God. Do good. Commit your ways to God. Delight in the Lord. Wait on God. Pray for grace and Holy Spirit empowerment to endure and persevere unto the morning of your joy when the glory of God will manifest in your life.
Prayers
- Thank God for the gift of life, for sustaining you all these years and have not allow any shadow of darkness to prevail over you.
- Pray that God will deliver you from any shadow of death, and provide a way of escape
- Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Pray that God in His infinite mercy will crown your endurance with joy.
- Pray to God that you will not die in the shadow of darkness.
- Pray that the Holy Spirit will help you to trust, rely, believe and to follow God’s directive when you are passing through moment of night of life.
- Pray for grace to wait, endure, and persevere until the appointment time for your breakthrough.
- Pray for grace to hold on to your faith and not to allow consequences (frustration, suffering) of circumstances to stop you from fulfilling the purpose of God for your life.
- Joseph kept on interpreting dream and doing what he must do. Pray that nothing will prevent you or prevail over you from persevering until you have overcome any opposing force.
- Pray against fear, threat or anything that wants to stop you from fulfilling God’s purpose for your life.
- Pray for boldness to overcome fear of known and unknown (Heb. 10:35; Jos. 1:9)
- Pray that the Holy Spirit will grant you grace to prepare every moment in life to face and overcome challenges, even unto the day of the Lord.
By Lawrence Abitogun
Lawrenceabitogun.com