Lately, I have been led to ponder about the relationship between the awareness of our identity in Christ and the level of patience we show while waiting for the fulfillment of God's promises.
I was recently speaking to someone who has received clear promises from the Lord. Some are likely to materialize in the upcoming days, others maybe a little later, but paradoxically, for the most recurrent of his promises that would seem to represent the climax of his earthly journey, he has no idea at all as to when these things would come to pass. Unlike Hannah and Sarah, God has not said to him: "At the same time next year..."
These promises might be fulfilled by the end of the year, or in two or ten years, he has no clue at all. If he has had 30 prophetic dreams since January 2011, twenty at least carried the same message. Just a few days ago, the Lord woke him up in the middle of the night and audibly asked him:
1) “What have I told you?”
2) “Who do you think you are?”
Then, He opened his eyes and the same night, re-confirmed certain things in two other dreams. Unaware of this nocturnal conversation with the Lord, his pastor also explained to him that God was simply using these recurring dreams of greatness to help him know who he (the guy) is. While he was sharing these things with me, my thoughts went back to Joseph.
Joseph had two defining dreams. In the first one, he was binding sheaves in the field with his brothers when his sheaf arose and stood upright and theirs gathered around it and bowed down to it. In the second one, he saw the sun, the moon and eleven stars bowing down before him. These were two thinly veiled promises of leadership and rule over his family and, neither his brothers nor his father missed the point. His brothers immediately asked him whether he was going to reign and rule over them and his father, whether all of them would have to bow to the ground before him (Gen 37:7-10).
Thinking about all this, I realized a few things…
When Joseph had those dreams, he was still a young teenager living in Canaan with little or no idea of what Egypt was and no idea about what it meant to be in charge of such a kingdom. In other words, when God spoke to him, he could not even have been able to imagine the kind of favour that the Lord was referring to. And besides, I don’t think anyone in his family could. They may have simply thought that the paternal history would repeat itself, that little Joseph would have more servants and cattle than them and would probably succeed into depriving them of their birthright. I'm not sure they were able to envision something as unimaginable as him becoming the Prime Minister of the most powerful kingdom in the world. So, at the time of the dreams, even the most far-reaching imagination of Joseph could not have possibly conceived what God’s calling for him was.
When God spoke to Joseph, He didn’t mention the prison or Potiphar. He didn’t tell him that before ruling over his own, he would first put his leadership and administrative talents into application at Potiphar’s and in an Egyptian prison. He simply made him understand that He was calling him to rule (where? How?) and that his folks would bow down before him. This is where the importance of knowing one's identity in Christ comes in. Joseph's dreams were to help him know who he was: a prince, a leader, a ruler and the most prominent member of his family –which was not a small claim, considering that his father was Israel...
In the well, Joseph was to remember: "I am a prince. I am called to rule and I have not yet done so: this is not my end, I'll get out."
Despite his privileged position at Potiphar’s (Gen 39:2-4), he was not to forget who he was. He was to constantly think: "It's true I now have a leadership role, but I don’t think I've already made it because my family has not yet come to bow before me."
Same thing in prison; even though he was in charge of all the prisoners, he was not to forget what God had told him and was to keep on thinking: "Despite this new leadership role, I still have to wait because my family has not yet prostrated themselves before me."
When he was finally set over all the land of Egypt some twelve years later, he knew the circle was not yet complete. Seven more years passed -the fat cows years- without the second part of his promise being fulfilled. Indeed, it is only during the seven years of famine that followed (the Bible doesn’t say exactly when) that his brothers came to Egypt and his family finally came to bow down before him, just as the LORD had shown him some twenty years ago.
Twenty years of a long and frustrating wait, full of all sorts of humiliations. However, Joseph stood firm because he had understood who he was even before going through all these trials. Indeed, whether at Eton or St Andrews, Prince William of England never forgot who he was. Whether eating in the refectory with the others or playing football he remained the No. 2 in line of succession to the Great British crown.
Likewise, while in the boat during the heart of the storm, or at twelve years of age in the temple with the doctors of the Law, or in Gethsemane, or before Pontius Pilate, or at Golgotha, and even when he cried: “Father why hast thou forsaken me?” and "Father into your hands I commend my spirit," Jesus never lost sight of who He was: the Son of God.
What has God told you? If you know deep down that you fear God and serve Him as faithfully as possible and you’ve had dreams that defy your understanding, dreams that you are even afraid to tell people because they seem so crazy, then, know that it is possible that the Lord may have told you something about your destiny that will be your anchor and compass like Joseph and his dreams. Knowing who you are, never doubting it and staying who you are, even if you find yourself in the most stinking pigsty, will help you wait for the LORD’s deliverance with patience and certainty.
God bless you and speak to you !
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