In these turbulent times of global unrest, our flesh screams out: "Duck and hide, duck and hide; buckle down, turn inward, secure oneself and shut the doors."
Scripture shows a different approach, or at the very least gives us a picture of what it looks like to "duck and hide". Most of the great leaders in the Scriptures were tempted to "duck and hide", from Moses to Peter and others in between. One in the Old Testament who could have done this and been "justified" in human eyes is Joseph.
Sold into slavery by his own brothers, he rose to a powerful position in the kingdom and then was falsely accused and tossed into prison for years. In the dark times, enclosed by prison walls, he could have fallen into self-pity and nurtured a heart of vengeance toward both family and captors, but instead, he allowed the grace of God to massage his heart so that it was pliable enough to hear God's voice speak about the coming years and the great famine that would strike the land, causing much turmoil and turbulence, spanning nations.
What a divine set-up. Joseph, had he succumbed to an orphan spirit and nurtured a victim mentality, could have been the poster-child for "duck and hide" in the Old Testament. Entrusted with knowledge and wisdom from on high, from God Himself, he cried out to the God of the universe to guide his footsteps during the six years prior to the seventh year of world-wide famine. His vision was greater than himself; his vision was for a long-way out; his vision was, what I like to call a both/and vision: both for himself and his loved ones AND for others who would be in need.
Most of us know the end of that story: Joseph had wisely prepared, stored up food and water for six years because he'd been warned by the Lord that a year of famine was coming. His aim was not self-preservation, but with a heart for his adopted people, and little did he know, for his own family as well, a test he would later pass with flying colors.
To the untrained eye, Joseph would have appeared to be a fanatic; I can almost hear the comments now:
"We are the wealthiest nation on the planet! Why are you worried about the future?"
"We've never encountered hard times where there is no food or water, and we are so advanced that we will be able to figure out a solution should something like that ever take place."
"Why prepare for something so far in the future? You are walking in fear; where is your faith?"
"We have everything and have no need; look at our shelves; they are packed full and we will be fine because we always have been."
Even as I write these imaginary comments which could have been uttered by the citizens in that day, I smile because I've heard similar statements made by my fellow Americans, and even those in other nations, believers no less, even amid the growing, clearly seen evidence that things are unraveling around the world.
Joseph was not living in fear during those six years. In fact, I would contend that he was living in the greatest level of faith in his life during those years of painstakingly and carefully planning and storing supplies for the coming seventh year of famine. His actions, from a fleshly perspective, could have been seen as a "duck and hide" mentality, but in reality, they were the farthest from that bent. He heard the word of the Lord, he sought His wisdom, and while everything around him "appeared" to speak otherwise (abundant wealth, luxurious crops and livestock), he clung to God's voice and walked in extreme faith and obedience, preparing to be a provider of his nation and those who would come from other nations!!!
In the end, God is glorified. We often bring up Joseph and prophecy to people that they are "Josephs", and rightly so, but in reality, what Joseph did was purely out of obedience to God Himself and brought glory to God who is the provider and the reconciler. As the story goes, Joseph's brothers travel from a long distance to speak with the king about receiving provision, and are ushered into the presence of their brother, whom they do not recognize, but he knows them.
Here is the true test for Joseph: How will he respond? Will the leading of the Lord guide his decisions, or will he listen and obey? Will the people's criticisms of him and his preparations over-rule the Lord's clear directive and cause him to walk in a spirit of fear and as an orphan rather than as a son? Will he choose the path of love and humility and provide for those who have hurt him the most, or will he exact vengeance?
Those same questions face each of us today. First, what is our relationship with the living God? Do we know His voice? Are we gripped by His love for us and for others? Are we heeding His directives both in the natural and in our walks with Him in the Spirit which will impact the natural for us and for others? Are we seeing a long way out through His eyes, with eyes and ears toward loving Him and loving our neighbor, both today and when times get more challenging.
None of us knows how difficult things will become; those of us who are followers of Jesus know a little bit, and we know the end of the story, which is glorious beyond compare. However, there are challenging times between now and then, the likes of which none of us has ever experienced. As He did with Joseph of old, God is speaking to His children today, pouring out His wisdom, love and guidance both for us, for others and ultimately, for His glory as the great harvest of souls into His Kingdom unfolds.
God spoke clearly to Joseph; how is He speaking to you through the Holy Spirit? What is He declaring that you should do in the natural to be a vessel of His love toward others in the coming days, weeks, months and years? God healed Joseph's heart through this preparation time so that he could be a blessing to his brothers who betrayed him both in the natural and spiritually through the greatest God-given gift of all: reconciliation.
God is giving us, as His children, the opportunity to walk like Josephs in our spheres of influence, with the aim of living in faith, hearing His voice and obeying his directives so that we can be instruments of reconciling people to their savior, Jesus Christ. How is He asking you to prepare, both in the natural and in the Spirit?
I believe there are literal Josephs on the planet who will be feeding cities and nations. I also believe there are "mini-Josephs" who will be feeding and providing for families and neighbors as the salt and light needs to go forth to the corners of the globe. I truly did not intend for this blog post to be a plug for Thrive Foods and Shelf Reliance
but now I see the connection. I would be remiss if I, as a follower of Jesus, did not present an opportunity to readers out there to prepare to be either literal "big" Josephs or "mini-Josephs" through this link above.
Let us walk in God's perfect love, not in fear, but rather living in faith that He is pouring out His wisdom to us, in advance, to bring glory to His name through provision and the means to live out the message of reconciliation in practical ways. Feel free to email me at tmhunarden@gmail.com and ask more questions or place an order on my website above.
No comments:
Post a Comment