The Seasons of Joseph

...faith, hope and love...
...but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13.13

Joseph experienced the changing seasons of spiritual life.
The season of faith began when God came to him in a vision.

Then later, in a different season while in prison,
his heart was exercised with hope.

Until the time that his word came:
the word of the Lord tried him. Psalm 105.19


Finally, he was brought forth. The vision came to fruition.
The God of Promise became the God of Fulfillment.

...first the blade , then the ear,
after that the full corn in the ear. Mark 4.28


Each developed in its season. but the greatest is love.
For what is the blade and the ear to the full corn in the ear?

If the full corn had come before its time
the weight of it would
have been too much for the undeveloped stalk.
All would be lost.
That was then- this in now.
For us.
In this place.
The corn is ripe, the harvest comes.
The greatest season of all!

...the greatest is love.

Beauty for Ashes

...to give unto them beauty for ashes,
the oil of joy for mourning,
the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness...
Isaiah 61.3

How wondrous was the Lord’s visitation the other day
after that I responded
to what was a somewhat painful heart knocking
with which the Lord was seeking the opening of my heart.

Behold , I stand at the door, and knock :
if any man hear my voice, and open the door,
I will come in to him, and will sup with him,
and he with me.
Revelation 3.20

I came expectantly
and then seemingly there was nothing...
not as had so readily come of late
when I responded to spirit promptings by turning inward.

But then I persisted
and O what a loveliness...
what an inexpressible beauty I saw!
There are really no words for such favor-
for such a revelation of an aspect of God.

Beauty!

Yes! He gives it in exchange
for the ashes of my sacrifice.
For turning my gaze,
if ever so weakly, to look in his direction.

How lovely is his dwelling place!
How amiable are his tabernacles!
How glorious and wonderful
is his goodness to the sons of men,
even to as many as believe on his name

And so often it seems that it is in response
to his leading to just simply lift the head-
even that which the flesh is so loth to do.

Lift up your heads, O ye gates;
and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors;
and the King of glory shall come in.
Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty,
the LORD mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, O ye gates;
even lift them up, ye everlasting doors;
and the King of glory shall come in.
PS Who is this King of glory?
The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory.
Selah. Psalm 24.7-10

Supernal Suffering

Jesus didn’t just suffer as a man on a cross,
after the fashion and pains of a human only…
There was more to it than that.

Though scourged and bloodied and bruised in body-
there is that which was much deeper going on- as deep as the lower parts of the earth.

Now that he ascended, what is it
but that he also descended first
into the lower parts of the earth? Ephesians 4.9


The whole of mankind’s sins were there to be dealt with- reaching to the depths of Satan.

And so the hurt and darkness that he experienced
were beyond the pains of flesh and soul .
His agony was an agony of all time
beyond tears
and every mortal grief.
Yes, his pain burned to the depths of hell.

Even so our sufferings take on a supernal quality
and are beyond the scope of mere men.

For add the Holy Spirit to the mix
and the flesh reacts-
kicking and bucking like a wild stallion
which is mounted by another for the first time.

And then there is that faith which came
and like a light gave vision to that which was before unseen
and was like a hope inspiring promise of that which was to come.

And then let clouds come and block that light
or let delays come in that which we so longed for
and which was so precious and yearned for…
…and came with such an assurance
as to its reality with hope
and earnest expectation.

Yes, let faith be tried in a prison of hoping against hope…

Hope deferred maketh the heart sick:
but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life. Proverbs 13.12


Truly, the seed of life that that God plants,
like Christ, must die.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall
into the ground and die, it abideth alone:but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. John 12.24


But now understand God’s way
and the way of all nature
and the path of Jesus…

observe….

hang on….

endure…

rejoice

Pick yourself up with grace and mercy
again and again and again
yes, hope against hope….
and watch what God will do.

Can these dead bones live….? Ezekiel