I awoke praying to be filled with the Spirit. Psalms 8:1 and 16:2 will serve for Temple worship today.
My Shepherd met me in His green pastures and laid me down in Genesis 45. The Mind of the Spirit occupied the spirit of my mind in verse 13:
Genesis 45:13 And ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen; and ye shall haste and bring down my father hither.
“Tell my father of all my glory in Egypt.” And “God hath made me lord of all Egypt” (45:9).
Along the still waters, Joseph’s story passed through my thoughts: Jacob’s favor for Joseph and his brother’s hatred (37:3-4), Joseph’s dreams (Genesis 37), his brothers selling him into slavery (Genesis 37:27-28), his time in Potipher’s house (37:36, 39:1-6), fleeing Potipher’s wife (39:7-19), his time in the king’s prison (39:20-23), the butler and the baker (40), Pharoah’s dream, Joseph’s interpretation, and his elevation over all Egypt (41:1-45). His brothers despised him for his dreams, and his dreams saved them (Genesis 37:20; 45:5, 7-8).
There is a great lesson here for anyone hurt by someone close to them. He did not become bitter; he became better. Joseph neutralized the poison of bitterness by taking God’s perspective on the matter: “Ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good” (Genesis 50:20). But there is more! Joseph defeated every effort of Satan to bury him in bitterness, not by exulting in God’s vindication of him against their hatred, but by seeing the justification of all his suffering in the saving of “much people alive” (Genesis 50:20).
Nevertheless, what thrilled me this morning was the thought of Joseph sending word to his father: “Tell my father of all my glory in Egypt.” It’s inspiring! Joseph never boasted of his glory. He delighted, however, in the joy it would give his father and the salvation it brought to the world. You are already thinking about what I’m going to say next. It occurred to others of you earlier. Jesus, despised by his brethren, suffered at their hands (Zechariah 13:6), and rose to declare “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth” (Matthew 28:18) to the glory of GOD the Father (Philippians 2:11). Joseph was made ruler over Egypt, Jesus over Heaven and Earth (Ephesians 1:15-21).
In the valley, kneeling in the shadow of His Cross, I saw Him Whose brow was pierced with thorns, His hands and feet with nails, and His side with spear, Whose face bore their spittle (Mark 10:34), His beard plucked by their vile hands (Isaiah 50:6), and Whose visage was marred, and His form debased above any before or after Him (Isaiah 52:14), Whose back was cut to the bone by leather tongs of the scourge (John 19:1), and Who pressed that back against the rough cut wooden stake, driving splinters into His open wounds to pull Himself up, to get sufficient air to declare: “Father, forgive them” (Luke 23:34). “Ye meant it for evil” but the Father and the Son meant it for our good (Romans 5:8-9). I heard Him say to me, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23). He endured the cross “for the joy that was set before Him” (Hebrews 12:2).
Whatever comes upon us on the cross that He calls us to bear cannot compare to what He bore for us. Let us endure as good soldiers (1 Timothy 2:3) for the joy of our LORD is our reward. We will one day trade our cross for a crown: “And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away” (1 Peter 5:4). Can’t wait to receive it, and join the elders who cast their crowns before the throne, saying, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power” (Revelation 4:10-11).
At the table, I asked and received His anointing oil for my head and His grace for my cup. I sought His face and found it. I knocked on doors of opportunity, and He opened those He desired me to enter. We enjoyed good communion. Goondess and mercy appeared, signaling it was time to move into the Harvest. We did!
Praying for revival! 🙏
Going live asap.
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