Two of the loveliest characters of all the Old Bible are Joseph and David. The characteristic they held in common, as noticed here, is that they had a sense of destiny. At early ages David was annointed to be future king of Israel, and Joseph had a vision of all his kinsmen bowing before him. Planted in each of their hearts was the concept that he was to be somebody. With the sense of destiny implanted in their hearts, each of them withstood aweful trials in their lives. Joseph the indignity of being sold into slavery, then prison. David--being hunted out over the hills of Judea like a partridge. Without cause. Neither of them ever cracked. Each of them held course of moderation, patience and diligence. Joseph made his master number one. Then he made the prison superintendent to be number one, and then, finally, the Pharaoh he made number one. David would never countenance any thought but that king Saul was number one in the kingdom. He would not revile him, he would not threaten! How can people be so tolerant, so diligent so pure, so Godly?
They had a lot of things going for them, but the thing noticed here is that they had a healthy self-esteem! They were somebody! They had a dream! A God implanted dream!
What do you suppose they would have amounted to if they had visioned themselves as no-bodies? What if they had gone around beating their breasts: "I must be humble! I Must not show evidence of wanting to be somebody!"
They had accepted the dream of service. They had had their egos purified by their own sacrifices. We have entered into Christianity from the wrong end--trying to abase ourselves to nothingness. Christ said, "If I make you free, you will be free indeed." BL
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