Testing the Word

“Until the time his prediction came true, the word of the Lord tested him.” (Psalm 105:19)

“Tested him.” Him who? This was Joseph who was being tested.

The psalmist referenced the story of Joseph. He says that they hurt his feet with irons and put an iron collar around his neck as they led him away from his brothers. They were the ones responsible for this, on the surface at least. No doubt they each remembered the dream Joseph had told them about sometime earlier, how his sheaf stood upright, while all of theirs bowed before his. That one filled them with indignation. Now, watching the Midianite slave traders drag him away screaming and in irons and begging them to help him certainly did not look anything like what young Joseph had dreamed about, and undoubtedly it did not look that way to Joseph either. All the promise and potential now seemed out of reach, inaccessible. The only resources accessible to Joseph were: time, faith, and the word of the Lord. There was no way to make a connection in his mind with his current predicament and what was to come. He could only wait, trust God, and let the word of the Lord achieve its purposes according to the will of the Lord.

Sometimes God gives us a promise. Yet, we have days that seem not so promising. These are days when we wonder, “What in the world am I doing?” and “What in the world is God doing?” On those days, we need to realize that the word of the Lord is testing our resolve and our faithfulness, and we just need to keep on trusting as we continue moving forward under the load.

Lord, May we put our trust fully in You for the fulfillment of Your word. Amen.