Leslie M. John
But seek you first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these
things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33)
As we read through the life history of Joseph, we see that he was elevated while
his offenders were thrown into insecurity and fear for future. God’s child, will
never be left to be without hope, but will be elevated, while his offenders will
be thrown in to insecurity and fear for their future. God assures his children
that when they seek the Kingdom of God; all their needs will be fulfilled. Let
me not get you to think that life of a child of God will be bed of roses! No!
The child of God will face as many troubles as others do or even more; but there
is hope that God will do everything for good for those who are called according
to his purpose. Psalmist said that he has not seen any child of God begging for
bread!
“I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken,
nor his seed begging bread”. (Psalms 37:25)
Those who seek pleasures of this world are not thinking in terms of securing
treasures in heaven.
We see how insecure Joseph’s brothers and Jacob were feeling because of their
worry about future, even though they were the children of God. Seeing the
circumstances around them, they were worried. Joseph’s brothers felt insecure,
because of their guilt feeling that God was punishing them for selling their own
brother. Jacob, in his old age was worried about his children and his own
future.
In fact, as we read through the story we find that everything works for good for
those who are called according to his purpose.
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to
them who are the called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
It was God’s plan that there should be abundance for seven years and famine for
the next seven years that should follow immediately the seven years of
abundance. It was, in His plan that someone, whom he loved and thought would
best fit for the disposition of food for seven years of famine, should be one
from Jacob’s family and that was Joseph. It was in His plan that the blessed
one, Jacob, whom He called, Israel, should survive the severe famine. It was His
plan that during that period of seven years of famine, some one from the family
of Jacob should be in Egypt to provide food for Jacob’s family.
Even when all this was happening at the behest of God, the children of Israel
were worried about their survival, future, and, therefore, indicted themselves
of having sold their brother, Joseph, many years ago. They did not know that
their food was already stored for them by God many years before they knew about
it. They were worried as to what their destiny would be.
God’s children have a great a hope as we read in Matthew 6:34, where Jesus
expressly, said “Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall
take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil
thereof”.