Until the time that his word [of prophecy regarding his brothers] came true, The word of the LORD tested and refined him.

Psalm 105:19

The fruit of righteousness takes time to manifest. Because Holy Spirit wants to refine and perfect our faith. Holy Spirit wants to transform us into the image of Lord Jesus. It’s a continuous process in the life of a disciple of Lord Jesus. We go from faith to faith, from strength to strength and from glory to glory.

This particular verse, Psalm 105:19 is written in the book of Psalms about Joseph, the patriarch. It explains the key reason of why Josephs’ dream took so long to manifest. It defines the reason for the difficult and long test of time as character refinement. Yes, the Word of God tried Joseph. And it did not stop testing Joseph until his character was refined and transformed to a level where he was ready to be ushered into his glorious promise.

It is important that our faith in Christ should influence our soul. Genuine faith is validated by action. Likewise, action done without faith is useless. So, faith and action go hand in hand. As we continue doing so, sometimes like for patriarchs Joseph and Abraham, our promise may take a while to manifest. In this waiting, Holy Spirit works on our character to refine and transform it.

So, let the test of time not upset or tire us. And the only way to beat it and be victorious over it is to continue in the way of righteousness even when we are condemned and ridiculed. The test of time will then result in a glorious end- like a title “ Zaphnath-Paaneah” which Pharaoh bestowed on Joseph.