Oscar Leske Inspiration / Tested by God’s Promise

10-21-20 Inspiration by Oscar Leske

“[God] sent a man before them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave. They afflicted his feet with fetters; he himself was laid in irons, until the time that his word came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him” (NASB – Psalm 105:17–19).

TESTED BY GOD’S PROMISE
The life of Joseph began with great promise. Earlier in his youth, the Lord gave him a dream that showed him that he would be elevated to a position of great authority. He would rule over his brothers. Even his father and mother would come bowing down before him. What happened next? The very opposite of what God had promised. His brothers betrayed him, sold him as a slave into Egypt, and, because he was faithful to his Egyptian master, he eventually ended up in prison. He was in fetters; his soul was in iron.
How did Joseph respond to that situation? Did he say to himself, “Everything’s gone wrong! The Lord’s promise will never come true”? No, I don’t believe that. It says, “Until the time that the promise came, the word of the Lord tested him.” How important it is to see that when the Lord gives us a promise, many times everything that happens next will seem to be the very opposite of what God has promised. It’s so important that at times like that we don’t give up on the promise, we don’t say, “God has forgotten; God has failed.”
You see, that promise that God gave us is testing us. It’s testing our faith and our constancy to see if we’ll hold on in the darkest hour. And when we pass the test, then, like Joseph, the promise will be fulfilled.
—Derek Prince

ADDED THOUGHTS
Who would have thought that it would take being sold into Egypt as a slave, blessed by God in that position only to be subsequently put in prison though innocent of the accusation? There Joseph would live and serve, again blessed of God in his service. And yet, after one particular opportunity to get out of prison, God would leave him there another two full years. Why? Simply, because God was preparing Joseph for a particular task for His purpose.

In the difficulty and lack of understanding on the part of Joseph, God is working to form His man for the task that would be entrusted to him. With regard to this task, it must be understood that God’s work must be done in God’s way. Only the man or woman who is willing to learn the ways of God will be used in God’s work.

The question is: Can God find in our hearts and minds those who will accept the circumstance of God’s choosing, relying holy upon Him in those circumstances, believing that He does not make mistakes. “All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).”
In the end, Joseph was God’s man, in God’s place, doing God’s business, living by faith…and all this for God’s glory.

FOR CONSIDERATION
Often in Scripture when we encounter the word “mystery,” we are confronted with the concept of “hidden meaning,” or truth not yet revealed. It is the case in life, in particular, in the life of the Christian, that much is hidden with respect to the work of God in their life.

At times we see glimpses of the movement of His hand working in our lives but for the most part we are called upon to believe Him and to trust Him to work out a plan, an objective, and purpose.
Oscar
Oscar Leske
F/B – Signs Of Our Times
Understanding The Signs of Our Times

Ascribed to by:
Stevelampman.com
Transforming Power; The Work of God on Behalf of Man

Dr. Lian Muan Kim
Koinonia Baptist Seminary – Yangon, Myanmar

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