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“And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee.” Joshua was about to gain the confidence of Israel. They would need it for the challenges that lay ahead. He and Caleb failed to convince their parents to obey forty years earlier, but this new generation had no fear of giants. They were ready to follow the leader God had chosen. It was not Joshua’s personality or leadership style that persuaded them. The Lord was at work all along preparing both leader and followers. We are never successful in carrying out spiritual work without God’s enabling. He chose to use Joshua, just as he had chosen to use Moses years before. He was not ready to complete his mission until he encountered the burning bush. This was a similar moment for Joshua. It was the day His Father had chosen to begin His process of magnification in the sight of Israel. None of it was done for the glory of men. Today we instead praise the Lord for keeping His promises to Israel; just as He intended when He said these words.

“And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou.” The action of this all-powerful leader may seem impulsive and reckless at first reading. He is choosing to elevate to the second most powerful position in his administration a man who is not only of foreign origin, but also a former slave and prisoner. The potential ramifications of this decision, if it were wrong, could have been monumental. A man that were secretly set against Pharaoh could have supplanted and destroyed him, by wielding the very power he had yielded to them. No leader would have willingly opened himself to these possibilities without the intervention of God. That is clearly what we see occurring here. God has intervened in this situation to provide blessing for Joseph, in fulfillment of His plan. No person can manufacture this type of development in life. Our only hope lies in following our Savior down His path of leading. We will not know where our path will finally lead, but we know for certain that God works together for our good. Let us look to Joseph as a delightful example of this truth.