Good Plan

We were on our way to church yesterday when my seven year old daughter, Sophia, completely out of the blue told me that she knew why Scar in The Lion King wanted to kill the king, Mufasa. She said it was because he wanted to be king.

Just in case you haven’t seen The Lion King, I’ll give you the quick synopsis. The great Lion, Mufasa is a good king, but his brother, Scar is jealous of everything Mufasa has built. Scar is out for himself, and does not care a bit about the other animals in the land they live in, Pride Rock. Regardless, Scar wants to be king over it all. Scar devises a plan to kill Mufasa so that he can be king. He ends up killing Mufasa and runs off the next heir in line for the throne, Mufasa’s son, Simba. Over the course of several years of Scar’s reign, he ruins Pride Rock. Plants have died and most of the animals have moved on to a more prosperous land. Hope is lost to the surviving lions. Finally, Simba comes back to reclaim his throne and ultimately defeats Scar. Pride Rock is restored to its beauty.

This story got me thinking about Joseph and his brothers. They had so much hatred and jealousy for Joseph that they were willing to kill him to ensure the two dreams he had of ruling over his family never came to pass. ““Come on, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns. We can tell our father, ‘A wild animal has eaten him.’ Then we’ll see what becomes of his dreams!””Genesis‬ ‭37‬:‭20‬ ‭

However, God had a plan. Just like in The Lion King, Joseph’s brothers could not stop what God had ordained for him. Ultimately, they should have been glad their plan did not work as Joseph’s position with Pharaoh saved their lives.

“But don’t be upset, and don’t be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives. This famine that has ravaged the land for two years will last five more years, and there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors. So it was God who sent me here, not you! And he is the one who made me an adviser to Pharaoh—the manager of his entire palace and the governor of all Egypt.”Genesis‬ 45‬:‭5‬-‭8‬

For us today, how does this story apply? I believe this is one way.

It’s almost like I have to know better than to be jealous. If a jealous thought, or really any negative thought, comes into my mind I have to stop it. I can’t entertain it or it grows and consumes me.

Think on things that are lovely and pure. Scripture says, then we will have peace. A peaceful mind is so much sweeter than one full of decay. That is where jealousy takes us. Death. Jealously never produces good fruit in our life, and left to its own devices will produce death.

“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.”Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭8‬-‭9‬

“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭26‬:‭3‬

God had a good plan for Joseph, but also for his brothers. They were able to live in the best land in Egypt because of Joseph’s position in the kingdom.

He has good plans for you. This story also takes me back to David and Samuel. Samuel said God looks at the heart. This is just another opportunity to make sure our hearts are in line with the Word, and that we stay pure before Him.

“Who may climb the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? Only those whose hands and hearts are pure, who do not worship idols and never tell lies. They will receive the Lord’s blessing and have a right relationship with God their savior.” Psalms‬ ‭24‬:‭3‬-‭5‬

“God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.”Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭8‬

“Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.”Psalms‬ ‭51‬:‭10‬