Today we continue our series entitled, “Faith and Patience Volume IV — The Wonder Twins.” I am using Joseph as an excellent example of our need for patience. We are seeking to learn from the different phases of Joseph’s life. Let’s get into it.
(James 1:2-4 TPT)
2 My fellow believers, when it seems as though you are facing nothing but difficulties see it as an invaluable opportunity to experience the greatest joy that you can!
3 For you know that when your faith is tested it stirs up power within you to endure all things.
4 And then as your endurance grows even stronger it will release perfection into every part of your being until there is nothing missing and nothing lacking.
(Ecclesiastes 3:1 ERV)
There is a right time for everything, and everything on earth will happen at the right time.
(Genesis 50:1-14 ERV)
50 When Israel died, Joseph was very sad. He hugged his father and cried over him and kissed him. 2 Joseph commanded his servants to prepare his father’s body. (These servants were doctors.) The doctors prepared Jacob’s body to be buried. They prepared the body in the special way of the Egyptians. 3 When the Egyptians prepared the body in this special way, they waited 40 days before they buried the body. Then the Egyptians had a special time of sadness for Jacob. This time was 70 days.
4 After the time of sadness was finished, Joseph spoke to Pharaoh’s officers and said, “Please tell this to Pharaoh: 5 ‘When my father was near death, I made a promise to him. I promised that I would bury him in a cave in the land of Canaan. This is the cave that he prepared for himself. So please let me go and bury my father. Then I will come back here to you.’”
6 Pharaoh answered, “Keep your promise. Go and bury your father.”
7 So Joseph went to bury his father. All of Pharaoh’s officials, personal advisors, and all the older leaders of Egypt went with Joseph. 8 All the people in Joseph’s family, his brothers, and all the people in his father’s family went with him. Only the children and the animals stayed in the land of Goshen. 9 So there was a large crowd of people with him. There was even a group of soldiers riding in chariots and some on horses.
10 They went to Goren Atad, east of the Jordan River. There they had a long funeral service for Israel, which continued for seven days. 11 When the people who lived in Canaan saw the funeral service at Goren Atad, they said, “This is a time of great sorrow for those Egyptians.” So now that place across the Jordan River is named Abel Mizraim.
12 So Jacob’s sons did what their father told them. 13 They carried his body to Canaan and buried it in the cave at Machpelah. This was the cave near Mamre in the field that Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite. Abraham bought that cave to use as a burial place. 14 After Joseph buried his father, he and everyone in the group with him went back to Egypt.
So what does this mean for you today? A few things.
1. The Kingdom of God functions on a culture of honor.
— When you honor someone you are choosing to acknowledge the value God placed in them, without allowing their mistakes (or flaws) to keep you from bestowing honor.
— When you honor someone, you are choosing to see them the way God sees them.
— Pastor Tony Brazelton says it this way: “When you honor God, you honor His people. When you honor His people, this means you see them the way God sees them, and you relate to them that way, without tripping over their humanity.”
— While you can receive from God directly, without a human, honor is divine respect for the “human in the loop.” When you honor someone you are honoring the anointing God placed on their lives.
— Seeing someone the way God sees them is critical to providing the honor they deserve. Because God knows you are flawed and when He looks at you, He refuses to allow the flaws of your humanity to cloud His judgment. He loves you anyway and He chooses to see you the way He created you, not simply based on your performance.
*** This is all very important to understand, because there will come a day when God will honor you, and he will not allow the mistakes you have made to cause Him to withhold the honor!
2. When honor someone, especially at death, you are operating in the heart of God.
— God knows that humans are not perfect. But when it comes time to remember them, God chooses to remember the best and not the worst. Why? Because He is a God of honor.
— Yesterday this nation honored the life and legacy of John Lewis. He was an amazing man. God used him to leave a mark in this world that will not easily be erased. Was he perfect? Of course not. He was human. But when it came time to honor him, it was not the time to mention any of his flaws. This nation put on an amazing funeral service and his remains were honored, because of the impact he made.
— In our text, Joseph made his Jacob’s body was prepared for burial in a special way. Then the entire nation of Egypt mourned Jacob for 70 days. Then Pharoah authorized Joseph to use national resources to transfer Jacob’s body back to Canaan, so he could be buried in the cave Abraham had purchased long ago. When they got there, they had a 7-day long funeral service. Why? Because God is a God of honor.
— When you read the lives of the people in the Old Testament, they were not perfect. But when they are recorded in the New Testament, God conveniently left out all their flaws. He only records the BEST and not the worst. Why? Because our God is a God of honor.
— There is a book in heaven with your name on it. When you get there and read it, it will show you in the best light. Because God will HONOR your legacy by being HONORABLE towards you.
Our God is a God of HONOR!
3. A few last thoughts on HONOR for today.
— You have to get past the man/woman in order to receive from the God in the man/woman. Don’t let their humanity keep you from the divinity God placed in them.
— Honor positions you to receive from God through His vessels in the earth.
— Our God is worthy of HONOR. We HONOR Him daily when we choose to submit to His Word, His will, and His ways. When we place God over self, we are bestowing HONOR upon God!
— Not only should we HONOR God, but we should HONOR the men/women He has placed in our lives, to be a blessing to us.
— Not only should we HONOR God and HONOR others, but we should HONOR ourselves. It takes HONOR to even put yourself in a position to be used of God. It takes a heart of honor to acknowledge the anointing and grace of your own life.
— Without developing a heart or honor you will fail to honor your own assignment.
— Honor helps you see yourself the way God sees you.
— There will come a day when God HONORS your sacrifice. On that day, you will think that people are going overboard. But don’t stop them. Because God is a God of overflow and extravagance. Look at the funeral Joseph gave Jacob. Look at the honor this nation bestowed upon John Lewis. God will ensure people bestow HONOR where HONOR is due. Your labor shall not be in vain! GREATER IS COMING FOR YOU!
Declaration of Faith:
Father, Your Kingdom functions on a culture of honor. Therefore, I declare that I am a man of HONOR. I HONOR Your daily with my life and living. I HONOR the men/women You have placed in my life. And I choose to HONOR myself. I HONOR what You have called me to BE and DO. I receive the anointing that You placed on my life and I see myself the way You see me. I believe what You believe about me. Which is why I say: GREATER IS COMING FOR ME! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
