Psalm 105:16-17–When he summoned a famine on the land and broke all supply of bread,17 he had sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave.

One of the things I believe we should learn to renew our minds to, is not devaluing the “course” which God uses to promote His purpose throughout our lives.  In other words, if our idea of having a meaningful life is defined by what appears successful in titles, degrees, and wealth/popularity than being in a humble position is deemed useless.  But God would call that unbelief…

As a believer, to find our worth in anything other than God first is to live as an idolater.  Believing that we must have “this person/thing” in our life, other than Jesus to give us meaning and worth.  The allure of people’s approval, our own pride, and status leads us to believe the things we were told to achieve and possess are life.  Yet what if God has a plan that needs us utterly humiliated, not for the sake of ourselves only, but others? (Deuteronomy 8:3)

People may esteem something about us and what we do, that we don’t esteem as highly.  But we all can agree that being a slave like Joseph, is something that no one wants to consider going through, but neither did Joseph.  Yet what he did do, was accept God ordering His footsteps, because the only way we endure faithfully humiliation and disappointment, is that we see purpose from God in it. (Job 23:10-12)

It is fascinating, that though Joseph didn’t know God’s ultimate plan, He was engineering Joseph’s life, to “go ahead” and suffer for the sake of other people.  Which God then gives him the “desires of his heart” to see his father, and the rest of his family in a place God paved for him to bless others.(Genesis 41:51-52, Psalm 37:4)

Now think about your life, and ask yourself, do I mainly think of how frustrated I am in the place I am?  Or do you consider God is shaping and molding me to “go ahead” as a pioneer, to suffer where I am, and bless those who need my testimony and purpose of God’s faithfulness?  The former perspective gets swallowed up in self-pity, while the latter is pushed by God to see Christ through humiliation, and relate to Him and His sufferings for other people.  The affirmation of pleasing God by faith, cannot be compared to pleasing ourselves in what we think, because naturally we would never choose humiliation, though that is where the blessing of God is. (Philippians 2:6-7, Philippians 3:10, Hebrews 11:6)

In His Love, Ld