Faith Filled Family Magazine September 2016 | Page 18

How do you see failure? Do you
see it as your life is over? Failure
is only failure if it is the last time
you are going to try. You aren’t
there yet, are you? I hope not.
We all go through failure in life.
If you find someone who has
never failed then I will show you
someone who has never accomplished anything.
Without failure we can’t succeed. It may sound crazy but in
life failure always comes right
before success in anything. Our
education system is just the
opposite. Fail there and it’s a
very bad thing but failing in the
real world can usually tu rn out to
be the springboard to your purpose.
Look at what Thomas Edison
said when asked about his failures of the light bulb, “I have not
failed, I just found 1000 ways
that would not work. Is that not
a great way to look at life? You
aren’t a failure at _______ you
just found ways that would not
work.
Look at the life of Joseph, He
was destined to have his family
bow to him one day but little did
he know that when he told them
his dream, they would sell him
into slavery. Then he raised up
from that to be falsely accused
of rape to then become second
in power.
Genesis 39:20 - Then Joseph’s
master took him and put him into
the prison, a place where the
king’s prisoners were confined.
And he was there in prison.
Then later in his story he is finally
victorious:

Genesis 39-42 - Then Pharaoh
said to Joseph, “Inasmuch as
God has shown you all this,
there is no one as discerning
and wise as you. You shall
be over my house, and all my
people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard
to the throne will I be greater
than you.” And Pharaoh said
to Joseph, “See, I have set you
over all the land of Egypt.”
Then Pharaoh took his signet
ring off his hand and put it on
Joseph’s hand; and he clothed
him in garments of fine linen
and put a gold chain around his
neck.
Granted a lot of this story I
skipped but to make a point, this
guy had every reason to quit
but because of his love for God
he couldn’t quit. He had a delay
but it was not God’s denial. A
lot could have been prevented
if he had not told his brothers
what he did years earlier. That
is what set up this whole life.
God then used what happened
to raise Joseph up to be what
God called him to be!
When you look at his story, I
don’t think you can say you went
through as much as he did and
God pulled him through so why
do you think God has forsaken
you? God may be pruning you
right now to prepare you for
the next level and where He is
leading you. You can’t quit right
before God’s promotion.
God is working in and through
you in the desert to get you
ready. Ready for what you may
ask? I have no idea but I do
know ready for something. God
is right there with you through

everything. He may not take
you out of the desert right away
but he is always with you in the
desert.
There are things that had to
happen to Joseph in order for
him to save his family down the
road. If he would have changed
any of it who knows, there might
be a different ending to the story.
Joseph had to go through everything he went through to get to
the promised land and you are
going to have to do the exact
same thing.
We all have our own journey
that God wants to take us on.
Yes there are decisions that we
make that take us away from the
journey but God is right there to
lead us back on the path. Allow
God to guide you and you will be
surprised where he will lead you.
Sometimes we have to be in
the desert for a very long time
before our attitude and our heart
changes enough for God to take
us to the next level. Our character MUST grow before God will
allow us into ministry. If you jump
in without character, you will lose
everything. Many people have
shown that over the years.
Moses went from the palace to
a nobody overnight after one
impulse. He saw a guard hurting
one of his people so he stopped
it and killed him. No one knew at
this time who he really was but
after that none of it mattered. He
tried to be in a hurry with God’s
purpose but you don’t rush
God’s timing. God may want you
to grow in your desert for many
years as he did with Moses but
no matter what you don’t rush
God.