Pastor's Column 1/19/2025

PASTOR’S COLUMN

“Then He sent someone to Egypt ahead of them – Joseph, was sold  as a slave. They bruised his feet with fetters and placed his neck in an iron collar. Until the time came to fulfill his dreams, the Lord tested Joseph’s character.” Psalm 105: 17-19, NLT    

“A Test Before The Best!”

The time before the attainment of any endeavor can be as Charles Dickens phrased it, “The worst of times.” While it is true something far worse can follow the better things in life – often it is the most difficult moments that yield the best of times to come. This is especially noticeable among God’s children – for we know what it’s like to struggle through fires, floods, and howling winds, only to experience a much better season. This experience is inherent in what the Scriptures teach us about “Hope.” The Apostle Paul went so far as to say, with great truth, “We were given this hope when we were saved, (If we already have something, we don’t have we don’t need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)”  The long explanation given to explain Paul’s statement simply means hope causes us to confidently believe there is something better, regardless of what we’re experiencing. Psalm 105 recounts the difficult periods in Israel’s journey and gives us a summary of how Joseph’s life went from worst to the best. A dreamer by nature, Joseph believed one day God would position him to help his people during a difficult period. The disastrous time Joseph foresaw came, some 17 years after he had been sold by his brothers to a nomadic tribe who sold young Joseph into slavery in Egypt. This strange place so far away from home did not seem to be a place where dreams are fulfilled. The Scriptures give us a gruesome picture of Joseph confined by fetters and chains around his feet and neck. Joseph certainly didn’t arrive in Egypt on a work visa, with a modicum of freedom. But it was there in Egypt God blessed Joseph and shepherded him from slavery and prison to the palace. The best came during Joseph’s worst time!