WATCHWORD:
3 Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other children because Joseph had been born to him in his old age. So one day Jacob had a special gift made for Joseph—a beautiful robe. 4 But his brothers hated Joseph because their father loved him more than the rest of them. They couldn’t say a kind word to him. 5 One night Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, they hated him more than ever. 6 “Listen to this dream,” he said. 7 “We were out in the field, tying up bundles of grain. Suddenly my bundle stood up, and your bundles all gathered around and bowed low before mine!” 8 His brothers responded, “So you think you will be our king, do you? Do you actually think you will reign over us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dreams and the way he talked about them. Genesis 37:3-8
19 But Joseph replied, “Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. Genesis 50:19-20
Meditation:
God’s Plan?
Talk about sibling rivalry! The younger brother flaunting, the older brothers taunting. This is not going to end well or maybe…God had a plan that neither side knew about. If they had known the outcome, how would that have changed behavior? Hmmm. We shall never know about that, but we do know about Joseph. The above scripture passages are the bookends of his story, the start and the finished.
We know that all his life, Joseph lived trusting in the promises of God. He understood his whole life in light of those promises and his trust of God. If anyone had reason to be bitter about the past, it’s Joseph. He had been nearly murdered by his brothers, sold into slavery in a foreign land, was falsely accused of adultery, and spent several years in prison. He was harmed intentionally by people he should have been able to trust. He spent the prime of his life as a slave and a prisoner. And yet, astonishingly, Joseph isn’t bitter. He sees the bigger picture. Joseph tells his brothers, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives”
What are the lessons in this for our lives? Think about those events or circumstances that we see as stressful, as harmful, as adversity. Does God intend those things for good, and you wonder? How can that be? Really.
Sometimes we forget how big our God is. Whatever may have happened to us in the past, we must know that it doesn’t have to dictate our future. If we put our faith and trust in God, we will see how He turns adversity for our own good. Despite our limited spiritual vision, God has a good plan for our lives, let us be thankful and be glad in it. Amen.
Bulletin Board:
A man is talking to God. “God, how long is a million years?” God answers, “To me, it’s about a minute.” “God, how much is a million dollars?” “To me, it’s a penny.” “God, may I have a penny?” “Wait a minute.”
Personal Prayer:
Loving God, forgive me for, far too often, taking Your grace and goodness for granted. Help me to daily grasp in new ways the depths of Your grace and love. And help me find the right words to share what You’ve done. It is with gratitude that I declare that You are my Lord and Savior, and it is in Your name that I pray. Amen.
