” . . . the hardest part of dealing with any stabbing disappointment in life isn’t the pain itself as much as it is the spiritual confusion.”- Wayne Stiles
As Dr. Wayne Stiles continues Chapter 2 of Waiting on God, he observes that, between Joseph’s brothers and Jacob, there was a lot of refusing going on. The brothers refused to yield authority to Joseph. Jacob refused all comfort at the loss of Joseph. In addition, Dr. Stiles states, “their roots fed the same basic desire- a demand to have one’s way, regardless of what God has said.”
Wayne reminds us that the big picture of God’s providence overshadows Joseph’s story. Yet, God involved Himself in the details of everyone’s personal growth. God wants us to read Joseph’s story not only because it’s about Joseph’s family. It’s about us. We’re all somewhere in the pages of this story.
Joseph’s circumstances, his stabbing disappointment, directly challenged the promises God revealed in Joseph’s dreams. Joseph’s brothers had scoffed, “Then let us see what will become of his dreams.” Hence, Dr. Stiles notes how the brothers’ words reveal the tension for our entire lives:
“It’s the same struggle we face when the promises God gives us are challenged by the life God gives us. They seem to contradict. We read Scripture, and God’s Word seems clear. But as we face challenges we never imagined possible, suddenly the verses feel as unreliable as last night’s crazy dream . . .”
Although we hesitate to say it, ultimately our problem is with God. Instead, we point to people as the cause of the pain lurking in our lives. Everything would be hunky-dory, if only God intervened to solve our problem. Therefore, we experience a crisis of faith, not circumstance.
Today’s question: Following your vocation loss, what spiritual confusion resulted from your stabbing disappointment? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “How long, O Lord?”
