Psalm 105:18 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)

18 His feet they hurt with fetters; he was laid in chains of iron and his soul entered into the iron,

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I’m not certain why I started this blog with that title. It came to mind as I started to type. This blog begins in a dungeon. Joseph was there…He was unjustly placed in chains of iron. While in chains he had interpreted a dream for two individuals. One, the baker, was to die in three days…giving him time to get right with God. That’s my positive take on it. The other, the butler, was to be restored to his place of favor with the pharaoh in three days. Joseph made a little mistake and asked the Butler to remember him to Pharaoh. You see, it was manipulation and God saw it. God ordained the Butler forget and Joseph got two more years in that dungeon. “Until the the Word of the Lord came to pass the Word of God tested him/Joseph.” Scripture goes on to say the iron from his chains “entered His soul”. Can you relate? Two years later God gave Pharaoh two dreams about the future and He also gracefully allowed the Butler to remember Joseph. The scripture says, “God remembered Joseph.” But He did it through the Butler. And the Word of the Lord soon came to pass…Joseph went from the dungeon to the throne in the fullness of time.

Why does this story mean something to me? Because God has taught me not being remembered is not the issue. The issue is speaking the Word He gives to you. If He gives you the Word and you speak it then He can bring it to pass. He invites His kids to be His mouthpiece. What’s important is that the Word of God NEVER returns void…as the scripture says…and scripture can’t be broken. Your remembrance by men is unimportant. You must learn to SPEAK HIS WORD, watch it come to pass some time later, and be okay with being forgotten. God remembered Joseph. He will remember you as well…as soon as men remembering you is no longer an issue. Jesus said it this way, “He who seeks the Glory of the one who sent him…he is true and there is no unrighteousness in him.” 22 years ago I had an incredible angelic encounter. It was on a Wednesday and I was thinking of sharing it in church that night when I heard, “what’s your motive?” I didn’t share it because I questioned my motive. I have had numerous occasions to question my motives since. God is pretty secure in who He is. He doesn’t need any affirmation from me or you. And He needs you to be just as secure in your relationship with Him, to the point the relationship is all that matters.

I honestly heard the audible voice of the Lord one morning. He said, “Bill, your goal is to behold the beauty of the Lord beyond the works of men.” It was many years ago and I’m still gaining understanding on it. That first day I thought He was saying it SHOULD be my goal but a couple years later He pointed out that’s not what He said. He said it “IS” my goal…so encouraging. In a world full of titles based on our works so we can feel entitled to something He points out what is most important is seeing Him. As scripture says, “when we see Him we will be like Him for we will see Him as He is.” Unpack that one!

A leader I follow said, “a prophetic voice should be like an iceberg…90% hidden.” And many times, like Joseph, they are hidden away in a dungeon or a pit of some kind. PIT is the acronym for “prophet in training”. Ask Jeremiah. Ask Graham Cook! Paul was in a prison when he wrote the Word of God is not in chains. How do you suppose he matured to the point of saying that? My conclusion is by the time a servant of God is ready to be on a platform of ministry they no longer want it….not for their own reasons anyway. Those motives have been burned away through some very painful processes. When a vessel fit for the Lord’s purpose is really ready they have only one motive left…”Glorify Jesus.” They Cast any crowns they have at His feet and, like Isaiah, they simply say, “here am I send me.” And if the Lord says,”are you willing to only minister to me in the secret place” you say, “absolutely!! as long as Your presence is there I’m in”. Once again, it’s about the relationship…

Many years ago God gave me a significant promise. I know it’s the word of the Lord to me. I know He will do what He said…but when? After all these years I thought I was evidently failing a test of some kind, going around the same old mountain, so to speak. But God….We can start many sentences off with “But God”. This is what He said to me recently, “I have not withheld it because you failed a test. I withheld it because you were thinking if you passed a test I would give it to you then…like you somehow had earned it. I love you too much to leave you in that performance mentality. Just say thank you now and receive it when it’s time. Until then find your rest in Me.” Yes sir! Thank You and amen….

There IS a rest that comes when your relationship with God gets to a certain point. When you can relax and simply walk with Him in the cool of the day. When you can be like a fork on His table that He can reach for and use at any given time and set back down. When, like Paul, you can be content even in a prison knowing the peace of God that PASSES understanding. You may slip in and out of that place of rest but I ASSURE you it’s much easier to get back to once you have actually spent time there before. You know the Way, and you now know Him well. God remembered Paul like He remembered Joseph. He remembers you as well…and, according to Malachi, a book of remembrance is even being written in His presence. Go read it yourself and embrace it as a son or daughter of the King. Then rest in Him and His beauty…beyond the works (OR titles) of men.

 

2 thoughts on “The Final Test

  1. An awesome word and revelation! Thank you. I need an address from you.

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