In Psalm 113:7 and 8, we read that a person can take a seat among the mighty regardless of his background.
There is a need for each of us to take responsibility for our lives. Hope is not a strategy. You need to be intentional. You can’t just sit and fold your hands and not make an effort. There is nothing like small progress. Just ensure you are making progress in the right direction. Speed is not the same as progress. It’s about speed in the right direction.
We will be looking at how mental growth has brought people from a low state to a place where they sit with kings and queens, princes and princesses. In 1 Samuel 2:8, we see that God lifts the beggars from the ash hill, sets them among kings, and makes them inherit the throne of glory. God can lift men and cause them to live among the mighty
In Psalm 113:7- 8, we also see that a person can take a seat among the mighty regardless of their background. Why does God raise people out of their low backgrounds? He does that because he wants to seat them among the best.
Some people grew up in underprivileged homes, grew up in the village, and were relegated to village life, but God caused them to dine with kings and queens. God can raise a man. For the men God raised in the bible days, we find out that each of these people also grew mentally. There is a dimension of growth that happened to them that even if life did not want to treat them well, the growth in their life forced them out of obscurity. By virtue of the growth experience they have had, they didn’t need to force their way into the lives of the high and mighty, they were just relevant.
Growth in your life makes you relevant, useful, needed and automatically places you in the place of power , authority and honour.
An example from the scriptures is Joseph.
Joseph was one guy, that – well, we won’t say that his background is not good at all
But by the virtue of circumstances, the virtue of life experience that happened to him, he found himself in a place in life that made him look like there was no hope for him again but you take time to trace Joseph’s life and story and you’ll find out that there was a point he got to that growth happened to him
Development happened to Joseph; he grew not just physically but also in mental capacity.
If you read the book of Genesis 37 – 40 – that’s a reference to this scripture there’s a reference to this.
You can also draw reference to the fact that God raises men from these scriptures as well 1 Samuel 2:8, the book of Psalms 113:7-8.
Hence, God lifts men, He raises the poor; people that have no background and sits them. God places men.
From solving smaller problems, they referred to him to come and solve a bigger problem.
From solving personal problems to solving National problems. Even the ones he interpreted for, forgot about him until one day there is a need for someone to solve a bigger problem. That is the power of referral. When you are good, it is powerful.
Joseph got a referral to meet the King. Prayer only did not get Joseph to where he got to. Knowing God only does not get him to where he got to, it wasn’t just because he was favored but he has grown in capacity, wisdom, understanding, knowledge and he has come to a place where he has become a reference point. Egypt and pharaoh needed Joseph
A man who has no background or a low background is now sitting among kings.
Joseph is a clear example and also a good reference to the fact that God can raise men.
The point is that; it’s not about God raising men, God will need to use something sometimes to raise men.
One of the things God used to raise men is the fact that that man/woman has also come to the place of relevance, a place of growth, substantially to a point and degree that even men can not ignore him. We can also grow in such a manner.
Are you aware when Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt and Joseph brought them before the king, the king said if they found anyone competent among his brother that they should place him to take care of his business but nobody was recommended by Joseph because none of them met up to the level of competent.
Genesis 47: 2-6 None of Joseph’s brothers was competent for the role pharaoh placed before them
Also, in Genesis 42: 1-2 Joseph’s brothers were idle and couldn’t even see opportunities, it was Jacob the old man that was seeing opportunities.
It was Jacob that was seeing opportunities whilst the young men did not see such. Their brother was in Egypt and increasing in capacity. The remaining ten were just looking at themselves not knowing what to do concerning the famine. Jacob was apparently telling them they were wasting away.
There was a time Pharaoh told his officers that if they find anyone competent, such should be made the head over keeping of the livestock.
Egypt opened to them the way it opened to Joseph. Joseph brothers could have also occupied the place of being a prime minister. They would have a wonderful role.
The king said to Joseph, that Egypt is before him and that if he knows any of them that is exceptionally good at their work, such should be put in charge of Pharaoh’s livestock with Joseph.
This is the reason why our preparation should meet opportunity. It was their father that got to know of the opportunities that lie in Israel.
Life will only reward prepared men. Opportunities will exist and abound. Men that are prepared long before the opportunity shows up.
Psalms 113:7
He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill
Life has a way of offering opportunities to prepared men. It does not matter our background, the scripture says to us, God raises the poor and makes them sit among the brightest and the best. Such that when they tell their stories how they got to such a position, people will ask how they got there.
When people hear the stories of men when they were in the low estate, people seem to question how they break through those moments.
People will keep asking how they got to that point they eventually are now. Aside from the favour of God, there are people who embrace the opportunity to be competent in their skills and get rewarded.
Prepared men still find their way to be among the brightest and fairest. The questions should be what are we doing?
What about David, that was born out of adultery, such that his father and brothers did not treat him well. He lived as an outcast, staying in the wilderness. His allies were sheep.
Until the day the Lord sent the prophet to the house of Jesse to anoint one of them to be king. It occured in the account they did not regard one that did not stay in the house with them.
There was one called Shammah (called peace) and well built. However, he was rejected. The same happened to the remaining brothers.
When they called upon David from the wilderness, the jar burst off, no wonder he said in the Psalms 23, “He anointed me and my cup runneth over.” There is much validity in him being the only choice one.
Though he was coming from the wilderness, yet God sees a man that is trained, knows how to shepherd the flock. The Lord sees if David could save his father’s flock from lions and bears, he would definitely shepherd His people.
When David pulled that testimony from his profile, Saul on hearing it adjusted his seat. God truly was with David. He was anointed yet skillful. It was recorded that David led the people with the skillfulness of his hands and the integrity of his heart.
Pharaoh on the other hand desired skillful men to attend to his livestock from Joseph’s family. He was looking out for competence, skill and expertise, God was looking for that too at a time and he found it in David.
The hand is required just as the heart is needed. There are many out there who are skillful but do not have the heart.
God found in David a king for his people. He was a man who had been written off and relegated.
Samuel said that no one will sit until David is brought to be anointed as King.
On the other hand, Daniel, Shedrack, Meshack and Abednego were captives in a strange land but ended up sitting on the throne. What brought them.out is not because they knew their God and did exploit. There was something unique about them which separated them. That was wisdom and capacity. During another king’s reign, Daniel was still recommended.
With it without a name, God has a way of sitting men among the brightest, among the best, among nobles.
I will emphasize this again that intentional growth; men preparing themselves to be the best is a leveller.
We should be deliberate and intentional. Can you fathom God putting his favour upon a man that is prepared, skillful, intelligent and competent. For a man to actually think it requires only his efforts, he is deceiving himself.
It is recorded in scriptures that without God we can do nothing. For while the horses are prepared for the day of battle, safety is of the Lord. We have an understanding that we are not sufficient of ourselves but our sufficiency is the Lord.
While we look forward to enjoying God’s favour, can we do the needful?
There are doors one may not be able to cross till he has worked on himself and he is standing. To be selected at all, you do your best to get in the list and leave the rest to God. It’s possible that anyone may be picked but you get yourself prepared first. When God is involved, an insignificant detail may exempt you from the crowd.
That is what God alone can do. While we expect God to do what he can, we must put ourselves in the place that can separate us from the crowd. There is a crowd and the world has a system for rating which does not know scriptures that you know. It doesn’t pay attention to religion. Such a system is programmed already and if you get selected among a few based on your proficiency which meets its requirements then trust God to finish what he started.
Let’s embrace every opportunity that can bring us before kings while we wait on God. This was what Joseph experienced. He has the capacity to interpret dreams, he didn’t start with national dreams but from smaller dreams which were accurate. He was able to solve little problems. He didn’t start with Pharaoh but with cup bearers. Another thing we should learn is recognizing cup bearers and bottlers else you may not meet Pharaoh in quote. You need such people to go to the next phase in life. Treat people well because it might be a good opportunity to meet your next big client or employer or access to ideas. Learn to do good services. While you’re praying for God to remember you, maintain your skills and integrity.