The Most Important Thing, Prophetic Destinies, Pt. 22

We see in Genesis 43-44 the many times Joseph tested his brothers while remaining incognito. This is simple but crucial. As you continue your journey in Christ, there will be times when you are tested, but also times when you will need to test. We see this as part of our duty in the New Testament. We are to first and foremost test ourselves (2 Cor. 13:5), test the spirits (I Jn. 4:1), and, indeed, test all things (I Thes. 5:21), so we can hold firmly to what is good. In the context of I Thessalonians five, if we are not to quench the Spirit, we must be able to discern Him from other spirits. If we shouldn't despise prophecies, then we need to test what is of God and what is not. To "test" in this passage is to scrutinize for genuineness. We want to cling to what is true and shun what is false, so we must be prepared to examine everything closely, whether words or people.

Following Joseph's final test, he decides he can now reveal himself to his brothers. Genesis 45:7-8, 11a states,

"God sent me ahead of you to establish you as a remnant within the land and to keep you alive by a great deliverance. Therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household, and ruler over all the land of Egypt...There I will sustain you."

Here is the most essential aspect you can ever learn about prophetic destinies in God: when God fulfills a dream, it is to establish and set up a place for the next generation and sustain God's people on the earth. IT IS NOT ABOUT YOU! IT IS ABOUT THE NATIONS! Why is humility so necessary? Because everything that God calls us to do, every dream, vision, plan, and purpose, is ultimately for the end goal of restoring people to right relationship with God through the blood of Christ. You see, not only had God positioned Joseph to serve Jacob and his family during the famine, God placed him where he could feed the other nations, as well. He put Joseph in place to determine where the Israelite children would live safely during their time of enslavement to Egypt.

You are where you are today because God is equipping you to establish a place for a remnant. What that remnant is, how many are in it, only God knows. But even now, you are being trained and positioned to be a part of God's great deliverance. Maybe it is on a school board, in a doctor's office. Perhaps in a church or your home. Maybe God has put you in place to father a Pharaoh. No matter where you are, the promise God gave you is for the ultimate purpose of redeeming the nations. No position is too small! You have been sent divinely ahead of someone, even many people, to put in place and establish a place for God's people. This requires character and hard work. What you do today in Christ has the potential to sustain a remnant of God in some capacity or another. You are not here by accident! God has every reason to see the dreams He has placed in your heart come to pass. The nations are waiting. All of creation is waiting for the revealing of the sons of God (Rom. 8:19)!

If you thought that your prophetic destiny was all about you, I'm sorry to disappoint. Scripture doesn't indicate that anywhere. Moses, Joshua, Deborah, Daniel, and Esther were all positioned and uniquely gifted to serve the nations. Even Christ came for the nations. Are there incredible benefits? Absolutely. It would be foolish not to admit that Joseph preferred the palace to the prison. Was there greater responsibility and accountability as a royal court member than there was as a servant in prison? In my opinion, not before God. Were you shocked by that answer? It is a question of character. Will you serve in the prison as you would in a palace with integrity and humility? Will you act in a palace like you would in prison, putting others' dreams before your own?

Oh, and it's not just a remnant made up of future generations. Several verses down, we read, "But when they told Jacob all that Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to transport him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived" (vs. 27). Yes, part of God positioning you is to facilitate the transfer of those who have gone before to a place of security and provision. God is a multigenerational God who cares about all ages, and if your dream doesn't include your elders, God can't bless it. Part of pursuing the promise is the pursuit of giving honor where honor is due. Entitlement has no place in the Kingdom of God. We are entitled to nothing but have been given all things in Christ. When God positions us, it is also to revive the spirits of those who have trod this path before us, proving that, as Paul stated, "I have delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen…" (I Cor. 15:3). We stand on the shoulders of the giants who trained us. Seeing their spirits revived can only benefit the nations and our personal lives. God wants generations that can relate to one another to birth the prophetic.

This, my friend, is not to downplay your importance to the Lord. After all, nations are made up of people just like you. No, God is intimately aware of who and where you are. He loves you with everlasting love. So much so that He invites you to partner with Him in the adventure of a lifetime. He has equipped you to touch someone. In a world where physical contact is limited, where we mask our faces and emotions and are encouraged to remain in fear, God has called the righteous to boldly step out, vulnerable and powerful, to love others as He has loved us and thereby reach the nations.

Let's Pray:

Father! I cannot comprehend the magnitude of what you have entrusted to my care. You have called me to establish a place for a remnant and to revive the heart of a generation. WOW! Please show me how to do this for your glory. Holy Spirit, guide me in the way in which I should go. Keep me humble before You, realizing that my dream is just one of many that You are supernaturally weaving together to see the redemption of the nations. When I grow discouraged, help me to see Your eternal purpose. Teach me to test all things so that the tactics of the enemy will not catch me off guard. Today, I commit myself to Your vision for the redemption of the nations through Jesus Christ, my Lord. Amen.