"He sent a man in advance of them - Joseph, sold for a slave: His feet they hurt by the fetters, the iron entered into his soul."

-   Psalm 105:17-18

Old Testament Scriptures, by Helen Spurrell

        I like this particular translation because I think it best depicts what really happened with Joseph. When he was placed in prison the guards bound his feet with fetters and wrapped chains about his neck. Yet, according to the scriptures, iron entered into his soul, which means his soul was laid in iron.  A better way to say this is, "his soul entered into the iron." Joseph was a person of resolve. He never once lost sight of the vision of his destiny even in the midst of betrayal, false accusations, and a prison cell. His mind, his will, and his emotions remained locked into the pursuit of what God had dropped into his spirit. 

        There is much to learn from this kind of determined pursuit.  That is why you will have to be a person of resolve if you are ever going to reach your destiny.  Most folks that let go of things that they envision do so because the path they face oftentimes is checkered with difficulties.  If there is a struggle, if there is an impasse that persistently stands in their way, they become weakened in their resolve and lose sight of the victory. No matter what kind of adversity you face you can never let the distractions of life rob you of your pursuit. Everything Joseph went through tried to break his spirit, but something rose up within him that enabled him to make a stand. He fixed his eyes on something much bigger than the obstacles that stood in his way. He kept focused on what God showed him, despite everything that tried to say it wasn't going to happen.

        You ought to stop right now and ask yourself, "What is it that I have my eyes set on?"  Every one of us have things we see on the inside--things that flash before our mind's eye. The key to allowing our soul to enter into an unquenchable resolve is to keep looking at the prize instead of the circumstances that want to deny us of our dream.

Theodore Roosevelt once said, "It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena - whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood - who strives valiantly - who errs and comes up short again and again; because there is no effort without error or shortcoming but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions - who spends himself for a worthy cause.  Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even thou checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.

Everything depends upon what you are going to look at and how locked in you are to an unshakeable faith. Decide for yourself you are not going to be a victim of past failings, but that you are going to lay hold to the promise of what it is you want in life. Whatever the case may be, your soul must become the focal point of your steadfast determination.Remember, there is no pursuit in reaching your destiny without the risk of making a few mistakes. Sometimes you may falter and come up short, but if you never attempt to reach your goal you will never know the value of the fight, and there is great value in standing your ground--fighting for what you believe to come to pass.

One thing I have learned in life, especially when it comes to laying your soul in iron is your own strength of will is not always enough.  Just having a dream won't guarantee you the victory.  It goes far beyond that.  For Joseph, it says, "Until the time that his word came: the word of the Lord tried him" (Psa. 105:19).  Until the very thing you believe God for comes to pass, you must allow the Word of God to hold you steady.  The test is whether or not you believe to see God's promise come to pass, even when the circumstances look impossible. If you will learn to mix faith with an uncompromising resolve within--one that will not be denied, then surely you will see things change.  Let your motto be much like what I believe it was in Joseph, who most likely kept his heart fixed on knowing, I'm bigger than this battle, because I have something in me that is bigger than whatever obstacle tries to stand in my way!