top of page
Writer's pictureJulie Branstetter

Count This Joy


Have you ever struggled and finally said to the Lord, "Lord, why again?" or wonder, "Did I fail this test before?" Have you wondered if your troubles mean that God is angry with you? I have and I prayed. Out of a long quietness, He answered and said, "The first time, I tested YOU with rejection and disappointment and you passed. But you did not fully understand what that would mean. This time it is not your test, it's simply an assignment. Because I know I can trust you with rejection and disappointment, you are the one I needed to use to test the other one in this situation. The one who succeeds and is filled with everything they want. That is as much a test to a man's spirit as rejection and disappointment have ever been. How do they respond to those who have fallen around them? So just be patient because when this is finished everything will come back to you as it should, but pray for the other one. Don't allow the enemy to set up a seed of bitterness in you at all so that you can truly pray for them. They will fail this test and then see their heart is prideful. And in the end everything will come back to Me; you and the other one. Count it all joy for My purposes are greater than any desire any one of you have and remember I used you in the role of rejection because I know you will handle it in a holy way and eventually your suffering will bring back to Me the one who was about to stray." This was for me, but after I spent time with the Lord on it I know in my heart it is for someone else too, so I am sharing it. Please know that sometimes when you struggle, it's not really your test, it's your assignment. You may not be able to tell the difference, but when we follow Christ it won't matter because all things work together for good for those who love the Lord. It was because God could trust you that He allowed you to play a role in someone else's test. Keep loving Him, and everything will eventually come back to you. It is one thing for us to say that we trust the Lord, it is an entirely different thing for Him to tell us that He can trust us.

UPDATE: I cannot go into too much detail about this time in my life and how it worked out but I have to add an update. In the time following what happened to me and in hearing this from the Lord in my prayer time, I stood back and observed for about a year this entire situation unfold. I love the opportunities to look back and see God's Words fulfilled. I not only have a return on everything that was lost, but I have gained accesses I never had before and in the next few months I am about to step into areas of blessing that not only are part of my return, but are also a fulfillment in a word God spoke to me 15 years ago. Life is a walk, it's a process. He gives and He takes away and both are good because God is good. I hope that the original post encourages you, but also the update and my ability to look back and confirm and say, "Yep, God was faithful!" He did it for me and He will do it for you.

2 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All
bottom of page