The first part of the verse says that although Joseph was bitterly attacked, sorely worried, shot at and persecuted (vs.23); his bow remained strong and steady. Toward the end of the verse it says that his hands were made strong and active.
What was the secret of his victorious and productive life?
It's an open secret and it's also contained in the same verse. We're told that he RESTED in the
Strength that does not fail him and that his hands were made strong by the hands of the
Mighty God.
How often do we fail to equate REST with victory?
How often do we wrongly equate REST with inactivity?
It certainly did not signal "Siesta Time" for Moses, just prior to resuming the journey, when the Lord said, "My Presence shall go with you and I will give you REST" (Ex.33:14). It was the assurance that Moses could REST confidently in God's enabling for all that was before him.
Again we come back to the Words of Jesus, "I can of My own self do nothing. The Father Who lives in Me, He does the work."
Joseph's RESTFUL availability to God allowed God to get into action on Joseph's behalf and to energize him for the good works God had prepared for him.
Whatever we face; no matter how mundane our routine, or how tedious the task, or how confining the circumstances, or how deep the trial, or how harsh the difficulty, or how uncertain the future; let us determine to REST in the Strength that does not fail us and then, for everything we do, we will find that our hands are made strong by the hands of the MIGHTY GOD.
With love & prayers,