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UNKNOWN DOESN’T EQUAL UNIMPORTANT
“From God’s perspective, anonymous seasons are sacred spaces. . . . Unapplauded, but not unproductive: hidden years are the surprising birthplace of true spiritual greatness.”
This was certainly true of Jesus. We tend to forget that the stories about him reflect a very short time period. The overwhelming majority of his life was spent in total obscurity. Only for a short season was he in the public eye.
Obscurity can be a bitter pill to swallow. The Old Testament character Joseph knew all about obscurity. When he resisted the sexual advances of Potiphar’s wife, she falsely accused him, and he ended up in prison. While in prison, God’s favor was on Joseph, but he was still in prison . . . unknown, forgotten, and disconnected from family. And don’t forget, he was in prison for doing what’s right.
But God had not forgotten Joseph. Not only would God liberate him from prison, he would exalt him to a high position of influence in the government. And even more, he would reunite Joseph with his family.
We learn a valuable lesson from Joseph’s season of obscurity: we learn that one of the ways we “overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21) is through our faithfulness. Day after day, even when he couldn’t see what God was doing, Joseph was faithful to God. Even though he was the victim of unfair circumstances, he kept doing what was right and good.
One great thing about prison is that it provided Joseph lots of opportunity for silence and solitude. He had the ability to face the deepest issues in his life. He had time in prison to look up through the bars and see the stars. He had time to talk to God and remember the dreams God had given him as a young man. He hung on and deepened his relationship with God.
And that’s what God wants for us. If you’re in a time of obscurity, know that God has not forgotten you. Hebrews 10:36 says, “For you have need of endurance so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised” (NASB). Joseph was under great stress and pressure, but he endured. He remained faithful.
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
Are you experiencing a time of obscurity? Allow this anonymous season to deepen rather than discourage you.
Today’s Takeaway
Obscurity is the classroom of character.
“From God’s perspective, anonymous seasons are sacred spaces. . . . Unapplauded, but not unproductive: hidden years are the surprising birthplace of true spiritual greatness.”
This was certainly true of Jesus. We tend to forget that the stories about him reflect a very short time period. The overwhelming majority of his life was spent in total obscurity. Only for a short season was he in the public eye.
Obscurity can be a bitter pill to swallow. The Old Testament character Joseph knew all about obscurity. When he resisted the sexual advances of Potiphar’s wife, she falsely accused him, and he ended up in prison. While in prison, God’s favor was on Joseph, but he was still in prison . . . unknown, forgotten, and disconnected from family. And don’t forget, he was in prison for doing what’s right.
But God had not forgotten Joseph. Not only would God liberate him from prison, he would exalt him to a high position of influence in the government. And even more, he would reunite Joseph with his family.
We learn a valuable lesson from Joseph’s season of obscurity: we learn that one of the ways we “overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21) is through our faithfulness. Day after day, even when he couldn’t see what God was doing, Joseph was faithful to God. Even though he was the victim of unfair circumstances, he kept doing what was right and good.
One great thing about prison is that it provided Joseph lots of opportunity for silence and solitude. He had the ability to face the deepest issues in his life. He had time in prison to look up through the bars and see the stars. He had time to talk to God and remember the dreams God had given him as a young man. He hung on and deepened his relationship with God.
And that’s what God wants for us. If you’re in a time of obscurity, know that God has not forgotten you. Hebrews 10:36 says, “For you have need of endurance so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised” (NASB). Joseph was under great stress and pressure, but he endured. He remained faithful.
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
Are you experiencing a time of obscurity? Allow this anonymous season to deepen rather than discourage you.
Today’s Takeaway
Obscurity is the classroom of character.
Scripture
About this Plan
Getting stuck is never fun. Worse than getting stuck in traffic or in a long line is getting stuck spiritually. In this devotional, you will walk with some of the great heroes of the faith and principles from Romans 12 to discover how you can get unstuck and experience spiritual momentum. Pastor and author Lance Witt breathes fresh insight into the journey of some great trailblazers of the Christian faith.
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We would like to thank Living On The Edge and Lance Witt for providing this plan. For more information go here: http://livingontheedge.org/ or http://www.replenish.net/
