Until the time that his word came to pass, The word of the Lord tested him.
Psalm 105:19 NKJV
When God is for you, He makes everything work out on your behalf. Most of the time, we cannot even recognise how God works because His pattern of ensuring that all things work together for our good is not the same as ours. It is a divine orchestration. Our thinking is often limited and clear-cut, but God looks at every intricate part and brings people into the details to ensure His promises are kept.
Psalm 105 begins by magnifying God’s goodness, faithfulness, and everything He has done. The passage starts by showcasing and admonishing people to talk about what God has done among His people as a testimony of His greatness. It discusses how God made a covenant with Abraham, a relationship that transcended his children and continues to recount the history of the Children of Israel. The passage highlights how famine struck the land and how God arose to cater to His people by raising a man—Joseph.
God’s ways differ from ours. Reflecting on Joseph’s story, we might think God was cruel for allowing Joseph to endure his trials. However, Scripture describes Joseph’s predicaments as God sending a man. It was a divine orchestration of events. If Joseph had misbehaved during his trials, he would have missed the purpose of God for his life. We can easily praise Joseph now because we know his story. But Joseph, living his everyday life, had no idea he was a sent man.
Joseph dreamed that his parents and brothers would bow to him. He knew in his heart that his life held more significance than it appeared. But he did not fully understand until the Word of God tested him. God’s vision for Joseph was more than his family bowing to him. It was for Joseph to shepherd the children of Israel in a foreign land, preserving God’s covenant with Abraham.
As children of God, will we not fail when the Word of God tests us? When God checks to see if we can be the bearers of His covenant fulfilment, will we pass? The Word of God tests our hearts, character, holiness, and the truth of what we carry within. It is easy to be a Christian when life is rosy. But a time will come when the Word of God will test the Word in our hearts. God sees a covenant and glory ahead; only those who prevail during such times will fulfil God’s purpose.
