What do these three men: Joseph, Daniel and Mordecai have in common?
It’s an uncanny sense of Purpose. They were men who suffered shame and cruel
mistreatment, but were nonetheless persuaded that all must be for a reason.
Joseph was a beloved
son of his father when he was suddenly betrayed and sold into slavery by his
own brothers! Even as a faithful slave he was lied against and sent to
prison, and betrayed there again!
Beloved, we read about Joseph’s story with the perspective of historical
hindsight and fail to imagine what it would have been like to live his kind of
life. He had the perfect ingredients for lifelong bitterness and hatred, yet he
never succumbed to it.
Daniel was a member of
the royal house in Judah, when all of a sudden he was thrust into slavery and
forced to work in the courts of the king of Babylon. The psalmist who wrote the
popular, “By the rivers of Babylon”, has one of the most bitter
statements ever to be found in scripture about his captors: “People of
Babylon, blessed is the one who pays you back... Blessed is the one who grabs
your little children and smashes them against a rock.” (Ps 137:8,9 GW). Do
we find this spirit in Daniel? No, rather we see him cooperating with, and
assisting the king. And he did so for 3 (probably 5) more heathen kings!
Mordecai was also of
royal blood (Saul’s lineage), but found himself a practical ‘gateman’ of the
Persian king at the palace in Susa. But rather than seek the downfall of
this enslaving empire, he actually thwarted a plot to assassinate the king!
These three men had the opportunity to be bitter about their
circumstances. They had good reason to believe that God had abandoned them, yet
they held an attitude that showed they understood that nothing can happen –
good or bad – if it wasn’t going to lead to the fulfilment of God’s purpose for
His people.
Joseph declared to his brothers, “ But as for you, you thought evil against me;
but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save many
people alive” (Gen 50:20). And
how about Mordecai’s classic words to his cousin, Queen Esther, “who knows whether you are come to the
kingdom for such a time as this?” (Est 4:14)
Beloved, without a sense of purpose, this life can be bitter, cruel and
seemingly pointless at times. But as long as you’re a child of God, you need to
be absolutely persuaded that no matter where you are right now, no matter the
adverse circumstance you’re facing, everything will add up to God’s ultimate
plan for you, your family, and His people, the Church.
AMEN.
More Blessings await you today; you’ll not miss them in Jesus’ Name.
GREG ELKAN
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