Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph; does my father still live?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed in his presence. 4 And Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near to me.” So they came near. Then he said: “I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6 For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. 7 And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. 8 So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.
“Hurry and go up to my father, and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph: “God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not tarry. 10 You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near to me, you and your children, your children’s children, your flocks and your herds, and all that you have. 11 There I will provide for you, lest you and your household, and all that you have, come to poverty; for there are still five years of famine.” ’—Genesis 45:3-11
Joseph here reminds me of my Jesus who, while he walked this earth, had a single mind devoted to doing the will of His Father in Heaven.
For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.—John 6:38
Jesus submitted Himself to His Father’s will even unto death of the cross. Read Philippians 2:1-11.
Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, 2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.—Philippians 2:1-11
Joseph had this kind of mind. He trusted God to use all that happened to him to further His sovereign plans.
Oh Father! Let THIS mind be in me! I want this kind of single hearted devotion to You, my God. Help me to trust Your providential rule over each and every circumstance in my life. May all I do and say here on this earth be done according to Your perfect will and plan for me. Help me to be more like Jesus, who did nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit but humbly submitted Himself to Your will and lived (and died) for others. Use my circumstances to further your perfect plan both in the microcosm of my life and in the macrocosm of Your kingdom.
The LORD lives!
Blessed be my Rock!
Let the God of my salvation be exalted.—Psalm 18:46
Blessed be the LORD forevermore!
Amen and Amen.—Psalm 89:52
