(Genesis 45:10–15)
10 And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children’s children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast:
11 And there will I nourish thee; for yet there are five years of famine; lest thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast, come to poverty.
12 And, behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaketh unto you.
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.
14 And he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck.
15 Moreover he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them: and after that his brethren talked with him.
If you’re under the impression that you are going to be great because of some accomplishment you’ve achieved but harbor wrong attitudes, you’re in for a terrible jolt. Greatness comes in the sweet-spirit attitudes of humility and forgiveness toward others. Joseph sets before us a magnanimous example. How beautifully forgiving he was, how generous in his mercy.
It takes God to make the heart right. When I have a wrong attitude, I look at life humanly. When I have a right attitude, I look at life divinely. That’s the real beauty of Joseph’s life. That’s the kernel of truth his life represents. He was great, mainly because of his attitude.
And there are specific lessons that grow out of that single truth. Let me offer at least three for your consideration.
First: When I’m able, by faith, to see God’s plan in my location, my attitude will be right. God sent me . . . God sent me . . . God sent me. Not until you can relax and see God in your present location will you be useful to Him. A positive theological attitude will do wonders for your geographical latitude.
Second: When I’m able, by faith, to sense God’s hand in my situation, my attitude will be right. I don’t begin the day gritting my teeth, asking, “Why do I have to stay in this situation?” Instead, I believe that He made me the way I am and put me where I am to do what He has planned for me to do.
Third: When I’m able, by faith, to accept both location and situation as good, even when there’s been evil in the process, my attitude will be right. When I can say with Joseph, “but God meant it for good,” then I become a trophy of grace.
Joseph shows us that the only way to find happiness in the grind of life is to do so by faith. A faith-filled life means all the difference in how we view everything around us. It affects our attitudes toward people, toward location, toward situation, toward circumstances, toward ourselves. Only then do our feet become swift to do what is right.
You say you want to be considered great some day? Here’s the secret: walk by faith, trusting God to renew your attitude.
Charles R. Swindoll
Jeremy Camp – Walk By Faith
Well I will walk by faith
Even when I cannot see
Well because this broken road
Prepares Your will for me
Help me to win my endless fears
You’ve been so faithful for all my years
With one breath You make me new
Your grace covers all I do
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