He had sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave. His feet were hurt with fetters; his neck was put in a collar of iron; until what he had said came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him.”
Psalm 105:17-19

Joseph is given to us as a living illustration of how God works in our lives. He was unjustly sold as a slave by his own brothers, who hated him. His suffering was very real. The leg irons hurt; the iron slave collar was terrible, and the emotional pain of the memory of the hatred and betrayal of those who should have loved and cared for him was even worse than that. He could have spent the rest of his life sinking into depression, self-pity, resentment, and a raging desire for revenge. Most people would.

But instead Joseph assumed that God knew what He was doing when he allowed all of this in his life. He responded with absolute faith in God’s goodness and complete trust in His plan and in His living purpose.

God was teaching him step by step, testing him along the way to see if he had passed to the next level in his character-building process. God had a role in mind for Joseph and He was getting him ready to step into it. The training process was years in the making.

God is doing the same with you. He has a plan, a purpose, a destiny for you to fulfill, and he’s preparing you along the way to step into it. The lessons will sometimes be painful, but take His character-building program seriously! You’ll be glad you did, because there is always a good and loving purpose behind it.

Lord, help me to keep my eyes on Your purpose. Help me to remember that You’re in charge of everything that happens in my life and that You are working in all things for my good. Sometimes in my pain I lose sight of these things. Jesus, You are Lord. Amen.

Pastor Dan Giles