Psalm 105:19
“Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him.”
God made a statement about Joseph that if he had known it may have encouraged him and lessened the heartache while he endured his trials; however, he didn’t know about this statement and still came out and fulfilled his purpose in life. God says, “Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him.” Everything that Joseph endured was a test until the time came. He didn’t know when that time would come, so he needed to do right every time because that may have been the time. He did do right, and the LORD used him to deliver Israel during the time of famine.
You will never know when your time will come, and that is why you need to be sure to do right all the time. Everyone is going to face hardships in life, but those hardships are there to test and see how you will perform when the time comes. That is the purpose of hard times. Hard times are preparation times for when the time comes for you to fulfill your purpose in being created.
Several years ago when I was learning how to fly, my instructor had me practice several different maneuvers to help me learn what to do when the time came that I needed to perform them. Little did I know that I would need those maneuvers one day when my plane stalled out. Likewise, you don’t know when your time will come, so you need to do right through hard times until your time comes.
Moreover, your time is a time of testing to see what you will do under pressure. God says that Joseph’s trials “tried him.” Your trials are there to prove to God that you can face the pressures of what you were created to do, but they are also there to prove to you that you can do what you were created to do when that time comes.
Furthermore, you are not alone during your time of testing. The verse above says, “…the word of the LORD tried him.” Notice, if God’s Word is there, then God was there. God is not going to allow you to go through your time of testing alone. Your trials may be hard to take, but God is there to help you. He will not allow you to go through your testing without His presence to support you.
Above that, others are depending upon you to make it. It says in verse 17, “He sent a man before them…” There was a whole nation depending upon Joseph coming through his time of testing. Friend, you don’t know who is depending upon you, but there is a group of people who need you to make it through your hard times. They don’t know who they are and you don’t know who they are, but God knows who they are and they need you to make it through your trials.
Until your time comes, keep going and do right! Only God truly knows when that time will come, so you must keep going even when you feel like your trials are worthless. Let me remind you that if you quit, there is a group of people who you will not know until the Judgment Seat who will not make it because you quit. God made you for a specific purpose, and He is going to test you to help you perform that purpose better. Until the time comes for you to fulfill that purpose, everything you face is a test. Whatever you do, do right and keep going. You will be glad you did when your time comes.