A WORD IN SEASON TO THE WEARY

🌷🌷🌷 August 11 🌷🌷🌷

“He brought me forth also into a large place” (Psalm 18:19).

From his childhood Joseph had learnt to depend entirely upon the Lord. He was forsaken by his relations and forgotten by his friends. At times, he had no one to help him or show sympathy to him. He received no encouraging or comforting letter from any one. I believe during those days the Lord became very precious to Joseph and he must have spent much time in prayer and communion with God. In this way the Lord trained Joseph for the high position he was to hold one day.

When God blessed Joseph with a son he called him “Ephraim” because he now understood clearly that God had not forgotten him or forsaken him, but had always loved him and knew what He was doing. In the same way, God wants us also to be very near to His heart. Through many afflictions, He is preparing us to hold a very high position, not only in this life but in the next one also. However painful these afflictions may be, we must always thank God for them. If you do not pass through all these afflictions, you will live only an ordinary life. But if you want to hold a high position with the Lord in His Kingdom, you must be prepared to go through the refining fire of every trial the Lord thinks fit for you.

Every believer without exception must go through afflictions. All the saints of God of whom we read in the Scriptures had to go through many severe affections. Having gone through many trials, David says, “He brought me forth also into a large place” (Psa. 18:19). The apostle Paul gives a long list of the forty or more difficult experiences he had to go through (2 Cor. 11:23-30). So we have to thank God for the honour He has given to us also to be prepared and trained for the great responsibilities He wants to give us later on.