And the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath…” Deuteronomy 28:13 (KJV)
A friend asked someone, “How are you doing?” to which she responded, “Fine, under the circumstances.” At that point my friend said, “A Christian has no business being under the circumstances. In Christ we live above the circumstances.”
Often we can’t change our circumstances or our schedules or our budgets or the people in our lives, but we can allow ourselves to be changed so that in everything we live at peace and become more than conquerors. When Joseph was taken into slavery, for a long time it appeared that he was beneath, the tail. But you can’t keep a good man down. Joseph was a “goodly person,” excelled in his work, and kept his ear opened to God.
Even when falsely accused and forgotten, Joseph stayed above the circumstances. From a young, naïve, boastful boy, Joseph allowed God to use the circumstances to make him into a trusted employee, an honorable man, a wise manager, and an interpreter of dreams. Who would’ve thought? In God’s time and with his molding, Joseph was given a position that his spirit already occupied.
Naturally, Joseph’s brothers were frightened when they discovered him alive in Egypt. Not only was Joseph alive, but he was Pharaoh’s right-hand man. How they must have feared retribution when their father died, but all along Joseph understood that the circumstances had been God’s unique opportunity to raise him from the tail to the head for his purpose and greater glory.
Father, help us to grow up so that we begin to discern our circumstances as opportunities for you to do marvelous things. Help us to get over whining and complaining so that we become instruments of your glorious working, fully engaged with the process. AMEN.
agodforeveryday 