Bad, Contrary Scriptures

I have been in a season where the employment space has been quite challenging. In such troublesome times we look for contrary scriptures to counter our feeling down. We want scriptures like ‘Be still and know I am God …’ ‘Hold your peace, I will fight for you…’ ‘The battle is not yours. It is the Lord’s…’

These seem to be on our side; contrary to the situation, but good and perfect for the situation. Conversely, today, as I prayed, I heard God ask, ‘When will you ever quote ‘Count it all joy, when you face divers trials’?’

I was numb!

You see — that too is the Word of the Lord. All scripture is God-breathed — all was inspired by His Spirit. Meaning this too has to apply in your life at some point. We often want that good uplifting word 😭 … and I always pray to God every morning to send the timely word for the day.

Amidst the trials this came. And I’m being told to rejoice! Bad, contrary — just!

It is like that time when I had lost the brother I follow (in fact even earlier … when I lost my best friend); the scripture ‘All things work together for the good of those who—’

I couldn’t even let it complete its course.

Even that time when I suffered a heartbreak, I smashed this verse like an angry man would a vase on receiving infuriating news!

But smashed or not, His word still prevails!

Accepted or not, His word continues to come to us today, to all faithfuls just like it came to the Prophets of yore. Sometimes we will not have the choice of which word will come. We must however recognize what comes, and reverently heed to what He is saying, and teaching, and desiring us to absorb and assimilate for the evolvement of our character.

One of the signs that you are maturing (or that God is feeding you with meat and not milk as someone He no longer considers a spiritual babe) is when such circumstances happen; where the Word that comes doesn’t excite you out of your seat, but only makes you sink deeper into your chair — making you contemplate and even ask more questions.

For example, I am still thinking of that James 1:3-4. The trials seem to test our faith. And that testing produces patience. That patience then makes us perfect and complete; making us lack nothing. But the writer said ‘let the patience have its perfect work’ … meaning, we can hinder it from doing so.

In this valley, all I’m hoping on is that this patience will make perfect and complete. But what’s this perfection? What’s this completion? I know not yet. But when I connect all the dots, I’ll be back to explain to you.

I imagine Job being told this after losing all his children and flocks in one day. I imagine Joseph being told this after being sold into slavery, even whilst behind bars. Yes, Joseph’s faith was tested. The trials must have made him doubt that the stars and the moon and sun would bow to him.

Besides, what use was holding onto that dream?!

But wait! The perfection could have been the purification of Joseph’s heart. James says ‘complete, lacking nothing.’ Joseph thought he lacked justice for being betrayed, but he had let the patience have its perfect work. And He saw that God had been omnipotent and omnipresent despite his brothers having dared to transgress the original flow of events.

I now see the perfection in him.

In Potiphar’s house, he was favored yes! But unforgiving. I assume, once he showed up at Pharaoh’s, he hadn’t forgiven the cupbearer for having not remembered him sooner. But the wisdom of perfection said to him ‘If he had remembered you earlier, you wouldn’t have been here when Pharaoh needed you. And what if he didn’t need you, perhaps you’d have been sent out in the criminals’ prison.’ (For let’s remember, Potiphar hadn’t placed Joseph in the convicts’ prison — but one that must have heard better privileges: the Kings’ prison, not just the layman’s)

Joseph having understood that it could have been worse, noticed the hand of God in all of it and must have given thanks instead.

This same forgiveness enabled him overlook what his brothers did, stating that what they meant for evil God turned for good! (Gen 50:20) The generations that turned into a nation were saved from the patience that arose as a result of the testing of a man’s faith. So, I guess, for whichever trial that came afterwards, Joseph counted it all joy, having picked a leaf, or a branch or a whole tree from his previous lessons.

(Sigh…)

Indeed these things were written aforetime for our learning! So I’m grateful that scripture visited me today. I have more hope now! Though initially, I labelled it bad; I repent. His word is good! So very good as each of the things His word created in the very beginning.

Life in itself isn’t a smooth journey and just because good prophecies were spoken over you, doesn’t mean you won’t encounter some hurdles. God didn’t promise ease; but He promised your overcoming! (John 16:33) Being favored of the Lord doesn’t hide you from badmouthing and scourgings of evil. I mean … We have Joseph for an example.

But the advantage is we are not as those without refuge or hope. Unlike those without Jesus, we can be of good cheer while we at the same time sit still and know He is God! We can count it all joy in every trial while we still refuse to fear!

You will testify! May God show you the pure gold coming out of you at the end of this!

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Romans 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

Isaiah 48:10 I have refined you, but not as silver is refined. Rather, I have refined you in the furnace of suffering. (NLT‬‬)

Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. ‭(NKJV‬‬)

1 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.
‭‭(NLT‬‬)

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Conclusively, to encourage you, His word says somewhere else, He won’t give you much more than you can bear. And every trial you are going through, it is not uncommon to many other fellow believers across the world. (1 Cor 10:13)

Say to the righteous it shall be well with them! (Isa 3:10) I therefore say to you: IT IS WELL WITH YOU! 🥹