Are some of you discouraged? Does it seem like you are not accomplishing anything, and Yahweh has forgotten you and His promises?

When the patriarch Joseph was a young man of 17, he received prophetic dreams which indicated he would someday be in a position of authority over his brothers. At his age, it must have been exhilarating to consider this possibility, and Joseph couldn’t restrain himself from sharing the revelation with his family. We all know that Joseph’s dreams were truly prophetic and did indeed come to pass; however, the path to their fulfillment took some twists and turns that Joseph could never have imagined.

Let Joseph’s experiences speak to you. Maybe you’ve received personal prophecies about how you will be used in the Kingdom; yet, like Joseph, you are in a season of your life when it appears you are going in the opposite direction. Don’t forget these all-important words in the book of Genesis: “But the Lord was with Joseph.” The Lord was with Joseph in the midst of his betrayal, slavery, false accusation, and imprisonment. He was with him in his hopelessness. He’s with you as well. You just need to recognize God’s methods for raising up sons and daughters.

Some people say that trials strengthen every believer’s faith. Quite simply, that is not true. Trials only strengthen the faith of some believers. To be accurate, trials cause some believers to become bitter and resentful. Others become fearful, unforgiving, or hard-hearted. Still others lose their faith entirely. The world is full of people whose faith has been shipwrecked because they were unable to deal with a loss, disappointment, or shattered dream. Don’t let this be you. The key to success is how you view your circumstances, and how you choose to react to them.

Certainly, Joseph had a lot of time to think when he was in that Egyptian prison. He could have let the apparent hopelessness of his situation overwhelm him. He could have given up and let bitterness, envy, or thoughts of revenge against his brothers consume his life. But instead he chose to cling to the promises of God. He chose to see with the eyes of faith and submit to God’s refining and maturing process.

Our Heavenly Father is not the author of evil. Yet in His genius He is able to use evil and difficult circumstances to accomplish His purposes and desires. Romans 8:28 is a familiar verse: “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Please notice that this verse is not telling us that all things are good. There are many things that, quite simply, are very bad. And bad things can happen to the righteous and unrighteous alike. But this verse is telling us that for those who truly love God—those who are the called according to His purpose—God enters into all things to work His good. Is this not what Joseph discovered? Is this not what God is trying to teach you?

Joseph needed to become a man with the maturity and responsibility necessary to wield great power and authority in a responsible way. As a young man, Joseph was a good person, but he wasn’t refined. He was full of undeveloped potential. Many of us fail to realize that in order to be vessels of honor in the Father’s house, we must be prepared to handle spiritual authority and anointing. There can be tragic results when an immature person is placed in a position of spiritual authority and influence over others. This is why the Apostolic Writings emphasize the importance of elders in leadership. An elder is a mature person, someone who has been around, someone who has been seasoned in the flames of adversity. The importance of making sure a person was properly seasoned in the faith before they qualified for leadership was such that Paul advised Timothy to “Not lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin” (1 Tim. 5:22). In other words, make sure you know a person well, and firmly believe that his spiritual maturity is tried and true, before you ordain them into leadership.

Our Heavenly Father practices what He preaches. He wasn’t hasty in appointing Joseph to a position second only to Pharaoh. The pride and self-centeredness inherent in all of us had to be removed from Joseph. Over time, Joseph agreed and participated in this process of death to his old nature. Essentially, this is what Yeshua was referring to when He said, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me” (Lk. 9:23). We must be willing to bring to God all desires, attitudes, emotions, and false understandings which are opposed to His Kingdom. They must be eliminated. We do this in the understanding that we are already sons and daughters who want to walk in grateful submission to our Savior and Master.

Every truth found in scripture is not automatically beneficial. Yeshua said you must “continue” in His word in order to be His disciples; and then “you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free” (Jn. 8:32). A disciple must first agree with the truth, and then they must act upon it—they must walk it out by faith in their own lives. A period of testing often occurs wherein circumstances come about that seem to deny the truth that is embraced. Only after the disciple hangs onto that truth by faith, is it truly established in their lives. If a truth is never tested or challenged, it will always remain in the theoretical realm. It will stay an abstract concept with no practical value.

Let’s take that idea a step further. We know the most important of all the commandments is to “love the Lord thy God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength” (Mk. 12:30). I suppose one could make a case that a trouble-free life would bring about love for God. Yet, a person who has never been a slave cannot truly understand freedom. One who has not known despair cannot fully appreciate joy. And one who has never fought a battle does not truly grasp the significance of victory. It is one of the great mysteries of this creation how, through the existence of evil and great adversity, we come to love our Heavenly Father and value His righteousness and blessing.   

In this journey it is easy to become impatient in our spiritual walk. We want everything to change today. We want to see progress right now. We want our families to be blessed and our congregations to flourish. We want to see the kingdom restored to Israel in our time. Don’t lose heart. Our Heavenly Father has it under control and He is ordering our steps. He doesn’t reward impatience. He rewards those who learn His ways, and come into agreement with them in their personal lives. We must discern the Father’s discipline, training, and timing in our own lives as righteous and holy. Only then do we become one with the author of all life; and only then do we realize that He is never late, but never early.