Waiting on God, from the Treasury of David

One of the most amazing books that I have read is Charles Spurgeon's, Treasury of David.  For the history of how Spurgeon wrote this book and its publication process please go to: http://www.spurgeon.org/treasury/treasury.htm.                  

Spurgeon speaks about how Joseph went through great suffering and also had a great delay regarding his dream; that dream was how God would exalt him. Joseph dreamed of his parents and brothers bowing before him in what was a divine revelation. There were many prophecies that were foretold that came to pass in God's timing.  Joseph had to go through much tribulation before he became a prominent leader of Egypt where there was no one greater than he except Pharaoh.
 
EXPOSITION Treasury of David by Charles Spurgeon.

  Psalm 105:18. Whose feet they hurt with fetters. From this we learn a little more of Joseph's sufferings than we find in the book of Genesis: inspiration had not ceased, and David was as accurate an historian as Moses, for the same Spirit guided his pen.

He was laid in iron, or "into iron came his soul." The prayer book version, "the iron entered into his soul," is ungrammatical, but probably expresses much the same truth. His fetters hurt his mind as well as his body, and well did Jacob say, "The archers shot at him, and sorely grieved him." Under the cruelly false accusation, which he could not disprove, his mind was, as it were, belted and bolted around with iron, and had not the Lord been with him he might have sunk under his sufferings. In all this, and a thousand things besides, he was an admirable type of him who in the highest sense is "the Shepherd, the stone of Israel."The iron fetters were preparing him to wear chains of gold, and making his feet ready to stand on high places. It is even so with all the Lord's afflicted ones, they too shall one day step from their prisons to their thrones.

Psalm 105:19. Until the time that his word came. God has His times, and his children must wait till his "until" is fulfilled. Joseph was tried as in a furnace, until the Lord's assaying work was fully accomplished. The word of the chief butler was nothing, he had to wait until God's word came, and meanwhile the word of the Lord tried him. He believed the promise, but his faith was sorely exercised. A delayed blessing tests men, and proves their metal, whether their faith is of that precious kind which can endure the fire. 

Of many a choice promise we may say with Daniel "the thing was true, but the time appointed was long." If the vision tarry it is good to wait for it with patience. There is a trying word and a delivering word, and we must bear the one till the other comes to us. How meekly Joseph endured his afflictions, and with what fortitude he looked forward to the clearing of his slandered character we may readily imagine: it will be better still if under similar trials we are able to imitate him, and come forth from the furnace as thoroughly purified as he was, and as well prepared to bear the yet harder ordeal of honor and power.

Psalm 105:18. -- His soul came into iron. Till we have felt it, we cannot conceive that sickness of heart, which at times will steal upon the patient sufferer; that sense of loneliness, that faintness of soul, which comes from hopes deferred and wishes unshared, from the selfishness of brethren and the heartlessness of the world. We ask ourselves, If the Lord were with me, should I suffer thus, not only the scorn of the learned and the contempt of the great, but even the indifference and neglect of those whom I have served, who yet forget me? So Joseph might have asked; and so till now may the elect ask, as they stand alone without man's encouragement or sympathy, not turned aside by falsehood or scorn, with their face set as a flint, yet deeply feeling what it costs them. --Andrew Dukes, in" The Types of Genesis," 1858.

 Don't forget our book, Broken Minds, Hope for Healing When You Feel Like You're Losing It. We will match any competitor's price for an autographed copy. It retails for $16.00.

What is unique about Heartfelt Counseling Ministries? One unique aspect is that Robyn and I suffer from biological depression ourselves. Some also find it unique that I am an ordained minister. Yes, ministers get depression, too. I am not afraid to challenge those who place blame on those who live with these painful diseases of the mind and mood. In fact, I do this in Broken Minds.
We, too, are in God's waiting room.We need  more exposure to the ministry. Robyn and I conduct seminars and host luncheons for pastors who would like to learn about mental illness. We do counseling and speak in churches or small groups. We have a Board of Directors and we are a non-profit 501 (c) (3) agency. Our ministry is in great need of funds and your gifts are tax deductible. It would be very helpful if we could get additional monthly supporters. We are asking for fifty persons to give fifty dollars a month. We counsel on a sliding scale, which is funded by donors like you. We need print materials updated and our office equipment is terribly outdated. Please go to our Contact Us page  and let us know if you would like to book a meeting, a seminar, receive counseling or become a partner in Heartfelt Ministries. Thank you- and imagine the suffering in silence that occurs among the Christian mentally ill. It is a desperately under served community and we cannot do it without your help.

Of course you can give more or less than the amount mentioned.  SB.  Here is the link to our  Getting Involved Contact Us page. heartfeltmin.org/how-can-i-get-involved.html.