Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic of many colors. Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more. Genesis 37:3,5
The Lord was speaking to me about how we make plans or envision how we see something going or happening only to have the end results be nothing close to the vision. He made the point with an ongoing conversation my wife and I have where my wife is upset about how the condo project turned out and some of the issues along the way. Now although it did turn out nowhere near what I expected and planned, because of two reasons. First the cost to build really jumped from our last build, basically double the price. And on top of it the peso gained a lot against the dollar during construction which hurts us also. I had figured not putting a penny into it and still getting a condo for free. As it turned out we had to put in 300k plus. So she is upset about it. However in looking at conservative numbers it increased our net worth by 400k plus and our income by $3,700 per month. Plus I still have a condo to sell and make even more, conservatively speaking we should get about another $150,000 which will also provide income when invested and reduce my out of pocket. If we add this on top it increased our net worth by $500,000 plus and I can generate another $1,000 per month from it easily which then means the investment increased our income by $4,700 dollars a month.
So you tell me how it was not successful?
Obviously it was, but the stress the Lord put me through from all the investors and even my wife, was intense. I know it was the Lords will I do it, or he would have made it known to me clearly and stopped it from happening. But instead he opened doors.
So here are two points he made to me as lessons from it. First looking at all the story of Joseph, it is very similar. No I did not go to jail like him, but suffered things as well, it is stressful when everyone including family is against you complaining. Wondering where the money is going to come from to finish the project. And other things.
Just like Joseph, he gets a dream and sees his brothers all bowing down to him, but they hate him and are jealous of him. So instead of them obeying the vision, they beat him and leave him in the well for dead, and then pull him out and sell him for a slave. Then he earns favor with the King, but then the wife of the King wants to have sex with him which he refuses so the wife makes up a story and he ends up in prison for 10 years. His dream becomes a night mare, nothing like he envisioned it from his dream.
But here is the thing God is after, which is he shows you a vision or dream and then he must make you into the man to accomplish the dream. No one is equipped for the dream, or anything in life actually. As a baby does nothing when born except cry, sleep and pop, and needs to learn everything, so it is with the second or rebirth into the Spirit.
I look back at my journey to know God and become a man after his own heart and live in righteousness with him. It has been a life of one test after another, starting when I knew I could not keep living like I was with my ex wife and really seeking him and what to do. Because my catholic religion made it clear divorce was like the worst thing you could eve do. But I also knew deep down this is not how the Lord wants us to live. So I was seeking him to give me answers. And in seeking him, then all hell started to break loose in my life, but instead of crying about it, I seeked him even more, I had no peace, no joy no nothing. But it was in seeking instead of crying and complaining to everyone that made me find him.
We really need to understand this point. Finding the Lord is not easy, you have to be in a point in life where you have so much pain you are really seeking and not just halfhearted because you did not win the lottery, or someone broke up with you type pain.
I know exactly how Joseph felt going through these things, and even though the bible does not say it like this, I know it was his suffering that drew him closer to God, made him seek him more. Joseph did not really know what he was going through, nor did Moses, David or anyone else who went through the shadow of the valley of death. But once you got to the other side the reward comes.
For me in this latest test, the results or fruit being beard is both spiritual and financially. I have a deeper understanding of who God is and what he wants or expects of us ever time he puts me through things. And messages for those around me, however most do not want to hear the message for them. The outcome is always worth the test or trial God puts you through to achieve it.
It is not really Joy going through these things, and it test your peace. But once done, the Joy you get for accomplishing something you never knew you could do, is amazing. You grow mentally and Spiritually, and the Lord almost always then gives you a financial gift also. What he did with my income and net worth is amazing. How many of you would be happy to increase your net worth by about $500,000 dollars and your income by $4,700 over 3 years? Most people work a lifetime and do not even get these numbers. Although I also know a few people who this is chump change for them. Being in real estate some of my clients are high end, worth millions and making $4,700 daily not monthly. I am just turning my 2 talents into 4, not 4 into 8, or at least not yet.
So the second thing he showed me about this is your attitude about it. What do you focus on? How it cost you $340,000 dollars and you expected to not put a penny out of your pocket into it so you complain? Joseph could have complained about all; he went through and had a poor little old me pity party like most people do. But instead he stayed the course, no indication he complained about anything. Maybe he did some, I did some. I had a short pity party, but quickly got over it and seeked with all my heart.
This is exactly what God expects, for us to take whatever he is putting us through with grace and remain strong in him without complaining. He has his reason for it, which you will never know why when going through it, but once you get through it you will know and the pain and suffering will all be worth it. But if instead you cry and complain, the pain remains and you will never learn the lesson and experience his amazing peace and joy. NEVER!
If you are truly after knowing the Lord, he will not just come and start speaking to you and you have a great easy life after, but instead he like a good coach in sports, will make you do things to push your physical abilities and mental to the limit, which makes you better and more confidence. But the difference is confidence is in God and not your abilities, because you know it is because of God and his “WAY” of doing things which is what brought about the excellent results and strength in you. Not yourself, but the Lord. And you know no one, not even satan can defeat you and take you from the Love of God.
Sadly most never experience this because they feel sorry for themselves and complain instead of seeking. They go along with the world and play it safe, believing everything the so called experts tell them. And in these days the experts are leading you into ruin. Physically, mentally, spiritually and financially. A perfect example of the outcome is look at the number of homeless and how they live. Many of them were with good jobs and living in nice homes, driving nice cars…. And lost it all, why? Because they followed the world. They built there life on the sand and not on the rock, the corner stone. I know that life well as I did the same in my first half of life, and paid a similar price. I was homeless once, although had a roof over my head because my parents let me live with them. I know how it can happen, I have been there and done that, but unlike most I learned and turned from it and do not live like that anymore and rebuilt my home on the corner stone. Yashua!
So what path will you take? Will you continue to build on the sand and cry when life destroys you? Or will you seek the Lord and allow his tribulations to come knowing they are making you into something amazing? And go through the pains without crying for your poor little old self?
By the way on this note, the other night I was speaking of this regarding my older daughter as this was a message I told her. Not sure she ever saw it? But I said it and do not regret it. However I got attached because of this message because to them it seems to harsh, to difficult and not of God. But this is an example of how we label God wrong. How what we see is of God is not and what is of God we see as of satan. And why blasphemy of the Holy Spirit happens, we get upset and call God an evil spirit because things did not go our way. I could have chosen to go down that road also, but I choose instead to seek truth and peace and joy which I had none of. And I think God I did. Because now some 20 plus years latter I am bearing very good fruit in all areas of my life. A BIG fight and major problems to get to this point, it was not given to me nor easy to achieve, but I have accomplished a lot. And so can anyone else, if I can you can. The question is will you give up everything to find the Lord like I did?
