When I was a kid, there was a Richard Pryor movie called “Brewster’s Millions”. The plot of the movie was that Pryor’s character Brewster was down on his luck when he found out his great uncle died and left him 300 million dollars. The catch was that he had to spend $30 million in 30 days and have no assets to show for it or he got nothing. His uncle was testing him to make him to make sure he didn’t waste the full $300 million when he inherited it.
When Joseph was a young man, he had a dream that his brothers would bow down to him. They hated him when he told them the dream. He then had another dream showing not only his brothers bowing to him, but also his father and mother. His brothers were so angry they wanted to kill him. Instead, they threw him into a pit, sold him as a slave, he was then falsely accused of raping his master’s wife, and he was thrown in prison. It was nearly 14 years between his dream and the time he left prison to become second in command of Egypt.
When David was a teenager, he was anointed as the next king of Israel. It was then that he faced Goliath, was banished by Saul, hid in the desert, lived on the run, forced out of the nation, and fought many battles. It was nearly 15 years between the time that he was anointed king and actually became king. He was tested, just like Joseph, so that God could convert him from a shepherd into a king. This pattern is found all throughout the Bible, and I believe God still does it today.
Psalm 105:19 says, “Until the time came to fulfill his dreams, the Lord tested Joseph’s character” (NLT). When God puts a dream in our hearts, we undergo testing. The greater the dream, the greater the test. God uses those tests to prove our character to make sure we don’t waste the dream. He knows we aren’t ready to handle the fulfillment, so He tests us to help us become the person who will steward the dream well. If God has given you a dream, be prepared to be tested and to wait for the fulfillment of it. There is a king (or queen) inside of you waiting to come out, but it will take some perseverance to make that happen.
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Devotions by Chris Hendrix 
Amen
Thank you for an encouraging message.
I’m sure it will help me and others.
God knows what we need to hear….when we need to hear it!
For me this message is right on time!
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Perfect! Keep trusting through the trials while you are waiting on the promise.
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Wow this is just what I needed to read in just the right timing!!!
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That’s awesome. You caused me to go back and read it too. I needed it today as well. Thanks.
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This is such a blessing and is a word in due season! Thank you so much and many blessing.
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Glad to hear it! Steward your dream well.
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Thank you for encouraging word.
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You’re welcome
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This is a timely word. Thanks so much.
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I’m glad it spoke to you. Thanks for reading it.
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Amen, so true. Great Word if encouragement. Thank you
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You’re welcome. Thanks for reading.
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Thank you so much for this Word. Awesome examples amd details. This helps me in preparing my message to preach tomorrow and it helps me personally. Thank you. My wife and I have a ministry on YouTube “Jamaal and Tiara”. I would love for you to check it out and subscribe. Thanks!
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So glad to hear that! I’ll stop by and check out your channel. May God bless you and your ministry.
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Jus what I needed when I needed it.. Timely and Very Inspiring.. When God gives you a Dream and has a Calling on your Life, He will do whatever he has to do to see to it that that Dream and Calling are FULLFILLED!!
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Yes He will. We just have to make sure that we follow His path and timing instead of trying to rush it and doing it our way.
I’m glad it spoke to you. Be blessed.
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Thanks for sharing this was helpful. Do you have any material about visions?
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Here is what I’ve written:
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Thank you for this! PRAISE GOD!
Between David’s anointing and becoming king was 15 years! WHOAH! What a wait for a great, great promise! Thank you fo sustaining us, LORD, in times of waiting. What an awesome God!
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You’re welcome. Don’t give up in the process of waiting!
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I am so glad I ran across this gem! I was looking for a timeline for King David. I am preparing a lesson for my youth on the wait to become. I want to have a discussion about the years it takes for God to transform us into who he’s called us to be. Please keep sharing your gift with the world!
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Glad you found this one too. Search for Joseph on my site. You’ll find something similar as with David. There’s a process all of us go through to get to God’s promises. Tomorrow’s post will be about something similar except with the illustration of a painting.
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Thanks for information about David and Joseph. I am researching both characters.
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You’re welcome. I’ve researched both. So many things to learn from their lives.
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He knows we aren’t ready to handle the fulfillment, so He tests us to help us become the person who will steward the dream well.
That is exactly what I was told when I was 22 – that the ministry God had for me to do was too glorious for me to handle then. I’m now 58… Recently I had a conversation with God about it – It seems like His idea of fulfillment is quite different to mine!
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It often is. I’ve often heard that the greater the ministry, the greater the preparation. Keep being faithful in the little things that are preparation for the bigger things coming.
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So true! Thank you for sharing your insight – I needed this!
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You’re welcome. Thanks for reading and letting me know.
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15 years… wow!
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It’s amazing! We need to be patient while God is preparing us.
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Thank you so much for sharing!! I googled “how long did Joseph wait until his dream(s) were fulfilled” and I was satisfied with the answer of roughly 22 years. But I started scrolling thru the other results I thought wow these all seem interesting to read but decided on this post because my name is also Chris (Christopher). Like Joseph God gave me a dream “roughly 22 years” ago so needless to say I’ve been waiting and expecting for all to be full filled as I’ve already seen most of the dream come to pass almost quite literally. The greatest part of the dream happened at the end which I’m eagerly awaiting. This post found me today when the enemy was making me feel so hopeless and doubtful. So thank you again for sharing this post it definitely gives me strength to hold on a little longer so much so that I added it to my home screen for quick access!!
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Thank you for sharing your story. Keep holding on. You have not been forgotten. God is positioning you and getting other pieces in place before the fulfillment can come.
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