Hiking the Cliff Lake Trail toward Chicago Peak in the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness, Montana
Last week, we talked about how Joseph aced his first test: The test of believing what God was telling him. The problem for Joseph was that once he believed, his troubles were far from over.
Walking a wash in search of the King of Wings, Ah-shi-sle-pah Wilderness, New Mexico
Joseph to bear the jealousy of his brothers and the disbelief of his own father. These same brothers disowned and betrayed him. They sold Joseph into slavery because they figured it was better than killing him themselves (Genesis 37:27).
Sunset over Irondequoit Bay from the Irondequoit Lakeside Trail, New York
Unfortunately, it’s not all that uncommon for people to disbelieve what God has put on our hearts. There are plenty of reasons for their disbelief, some of which are more palatable than others.
Haystack Pass, Glacier National Park, Montana
Some people disbelieve because God is calling them to something else. I listened to an entire sermon where the pastor told the congregation that God had told him to send his children to public school, so everyone should be sending their children out to be lights in the school system. I sat there thinking, “Good; you’ve done what God told you to do. But that’s not going to sway me from knowing without a shadow of a doubt that God told my parents to homeschool me, and I’m grateful they followed God on that one.” It’s so tempting to believe that what God has directed you to do is what everyone should be doing – and that if God is telling someone to do something else than they must be wrong.
The cirque containing Iceberg Lake, Glacier National Park, Montana
Others disbelieve because of their own insecurity. They’re afraid of where this will take you or the implications this will have on you, themselves, or others. Or that your passion, the fact that you’re being directed by God, shows what they lack. So they choose not to believe rather than face the consequences of belief.
Views at Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, New Mexico
Still others just don’t see how it could ever happen. “You, get on that worldwide TV program? You, be in politics or missions or music or movies or high corporate leadership? You’ve got to be kidding me!” It seems so impossible that they don’t even take it seriously. Because honestly, how likely was it that Joseph’s father and mother were going to bow down to him and pay him kingly honor (Genesis 37:10)?
Long-tailed Duck near the Charlotte Pier, Ontario Beach Park, New York
The thing is that we can’t let the disbelievers decide our future. Opposition will come, often from people close to us. Somehow, we have to find a way to respectfully disagree with them. Even respect may break the relationship. But we must face the test: Will we listen to what they say? Or will we listen to what God is saying?
Hiking toward the Great Sand Dunes, Colorado
A friend once wrote to us, “God told me that such-and-such was going to happen. The big-name speaker I spoke about it with agreed with me. My pastor is totally for it, and my husband believes it is God. But my friends say…” She needed to decide who she was going to listen to (or perhaps Who she was going to believe).
Inside the cave of Alcove House, Bandelier National Monument, New Mexico
It’s sort of like the time I was walking a bridge across the Delaware River pushing my bicycle. Another cyclist came from the other side of the river, very obviously not having a good day. He proceeded to rant at me for closing the trail so he couldn’t ride his bicycle the way he and his wife had planned. It was almost laughable; it wasn’t my fault the trail was closed. But I still had a choice: Was I going to believe that we could – and would – ride the trail despite the closure by finding an alternate route, or was I going to believe the other cyclist that the day was ruined and there was no hope for bicycling that day?
Biking into Fairport, New York, on the Erie Canal Path
I’m glad to say that we overcame and believed that it was still possible. We did have to find our way around the closure, but we also had a good ride.
Honey Falls in Philbrick Park, New York
I don’t want to say that you shouldn’t listen to the people around you – they can come with incredible wisdom and foresight that you may be lacking in the moment. Somehow you have to figure out which ones are helping and which ones are harming what God has told you to do. Jacob (Israel) sent Joseph as a kind of administrator to find out how his brothers were doing (Genesis 37:2; 14). I’ve heard it said that Joseph’s ornate robe was a status symbol of leadership. Jacob was trying to help Joseph get experience in leading and reigning. His brothers were antagonistic toward any kind of ruling Joseph might have done.
Scambling the hillside above the Andy Stone Trail in the Jedediah Smith Wilderness, Wyoming
Part 2 of the test is holding onto belief when people don’t believe. When you’re ostracized or rejected or betrayed, are you still going to do what God has told you? When it all seems impossible, where are the faith and belief? There are only two ways to hold onto the promise in situations like this: 1) Be so stubborn and self-driven that you hold on despite the odds, or 2) trust God more than people or circumstances. Personally, I’d rather go for the second option.
