Unfolding life plans!
Verse for Today: Monday, June 18, 2012
Acts 7:10 – But God was with (Joseph) and rescued him from all his troubles. He gave Joseph wisdom and enabled him to gain the goodwill of Pharaoh king of Egypt: so he made him ruler over Egypt and all his palace.
It is amazing to see how God lifts up His children to accomplish His purpose in and through them in the world. Joseph was a forgotten, misunderstood and falsely accused youth who was met with misery wherever he went. For the previous thirteen years, everything seemed to work against him. But God was working in his life to keep him from giving up. God filled his heart with hope for a brighter future. He filled him with wisdom and knowledge to handle situations. God helped him to renew his faith and trust in Him through revelations about the way he would be used for God’s glory. He received special grace to keep his heart from moral corruption. He kept God in front of him in times of testing, isolation, rejection, false accusation and even in interpreting dreams of Pharaoh and his top officers. He was not embarrassed or ashamed to give glory to God in front of Pharaoh and his council and attributed the source of his wisdom to be God alone. He knew the value of waiting for God’s time without grumbling or loosing patience. When he was lifted up from the pit and dungeon, he kept his heart from pride. He never exhibited a spirit of haughtiness or arrogance. His patience paid good dividends at the right time in God’s divine plan for him. God rescued him from all his troubles. God was with him which he knew and acknowledged it in all his dealings. God lifts up His children from their low estate and keeps them in places of responsibility to touch the lives of people. God speaks to people through the life, testimony and ministries of His children so as to accomplish His great purpose in them. Today the God of Joseph is with us and He is accomplishing His great purposes in and through us even when we do not understand his plans. He works at times openly and at other times behind the scene in mysterious ways and makes the lives of His children amazing illustration of His divine acts of benevolence.
Dear reader, are you frustrated today because things don’t seem to work out the way you plan? Is it true that wherever you go, you are confronted with rejection and resentment? Do you see the doors shut in front of your eyes more often than not and are you blocked from going forward? The life of Joseph ought to be a great encouragement for you today as you fight frustration and rejection. First of all, man’s rejection is not to be taken seriously because it matters only whether God receives you. Secondly, man is often used by the enemy of your soul to shut you off and make you feel dejected. Thirdly, people have no idea who they are handling when they deal with God’s children. Fourthly, man often has wrong perceptions of events and people because the unregenerate man doesn’t have the wisdom of God in dealing with God’s children. As you go through ill-treatment and resentment by man and when confronted with frustration, God will renew your heart and mind to overcome it by putting your hope in Him. If you keep your heart in tune wit the Spirit of God, He will work to renew His joy in your life and to make you wait patiently for Him to work in your situations. He will not forget you because He has so much at stake in your life as He has invested His Son, His Word and His spirit in your heart and life. Even when you cannot see or understand what’s going on in your life, the Lord is working behind the scene to prepare you and your situations to accomplish His purpose in you. So, cheer up, dear friend, the Almighty is at work in you. Beware not to interfere with the process He has started and don’t take things into your own hands and mess it up. Leave everything with the Lord and watch how He unfolds His purpose in you.
1 John 3:2a – Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not yet been made known what we will be.
Thought for Today
We are in for great surprises in life when God unfolds and fulfills His splendid plans for us day after day.
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