“he had sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave. His feet were hurt with fetters; his neck was put in a collar of iron; until what he had said came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him. The king sent and released him; the ruler of the peoples set him free; he made him lord of his house and ruler of all his possessions, to bind his princes at his pleasure and to teach his elders wisdom. Then Israel came to Egypt; Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭105:17-23‬ ‭ESV‬‬
https://www.bible.com/bible/59/psa.105.17-23.esv

All,

This stands out because the psalmist says, “his neck was put in a collar of iron; until what he had said came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him.”  Joseph, like other people in the Bible, went through intense suffering in order to be a part of God’s plan for redemption later. It seems that God forges resolve in His servants through suffering so they will be ready when it’s their time. Do you see present or past suffering as preparation?  Please pray that we and our friends have a eternal view as opposed to a temporal view during tough times. Please pray for Blake and Bartley’s group.