Despite all of his hardship, Joseph wasn't bitter toward God or anyone else for life not being easy. He genuinely wept at seeing his brothers, he willingly forgave them for betraying him, and he blessed them materially. When Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers, he said, "Don't feel badly, don't blame yourself for selling me. God was behind it. God sent me here ahead of you to save lives....So you see, it wasn't you who sent me here but God." (45:4-8)
When I consider hardships in my life - difficult relationships - my first thought usually ISN'T that God is behind it, that God has sent me here. In many ways, I've unwittingly bought into the cultural expectation that my life should be easy and comfortable (or at least not too hard and with minimal discomfort!) And I can be resentful and irritable when it's not. It's easier for me to say, "Why me, Lord? Can't you do something about THEM?!?" It's easier to externalize the problem rather than look inside and consider what God may be trying to accomplish in me, or to simply to trust God in the discomfort.
"As you read what happened in [Joseph's] life, I want you to hear that even people who serve me well struggle greatly. But never without purpose though the specific purpose will often remain obscure...Every moment of suffering you endure is part of the good story I am telling. I don't want you to be surprised when after years of following Me closely, you will run into trouble." 66 LLLord, I confess that I want life to be not-too-hard. Honestly, I don't want to suffer, and I don't even want to struggle much, but You tell me that I will have trouble in this life, that every moment of suffering is part of Your good story. I get scared when I think about the kinds of struggles or suffering You could send me into. Father, forgive my unbelief, my fear, my desire for the easy life. I want to believe with every fiber of my being that You are telling a good story and that I'm part of it. Thank you that every struggle has a purpose, that You waste nothing. (Romans 8:28) I pray that You'll give me the grace to turn to You in each trial, to keep my thoughts on Your larger story, and to fully trust You regardless of my circumstances.
6 comments:
I have been reading our daily readings to my husband when he's around. He made an interesting observation that he thinks, based on the last verse that we read, that Jacob is still called Jacob when he is operating in his flesh; however, when he is walking with and trusting in God, he is called Israel. I'll be interested to see if that theory pans out, because I can certainly can relate to acting like two different people!
Amen! Reading that last chapter was tough. I agree Cici, Joseph seemed so eager to forgive, so free to forgive. (Did he play a little with them when he sent them back without Benjamin?).
Joseph was betrayed by his brothers, yet he weeps at reconciliation with them! There is no blame game, no punishment, no lording it over them. Just free-heartedness. I think that free-heartedness mimics God's heart of generosity for us.
Perhaps one learns that trait through thankfulness in every situation, from expecting God to come through for you, from learning to hope and trust in a good God who sees you.
Joseph learned about laying down rights and privileges through real slavery and imprisonment. Perhaps that began to rub out pride in him, and his sense of entitlement, freeing Joseph to be truly grateful for all of God's good gifts.
Lord, open my eyes to see you, to value you, to love you. Relax my death-grip on my rights, so I lay them down and move towards people with freedom and free-heartedness. Like You do.
I'm grateful that Joseph's forgiveness wasn't a perfect, step-by-step example. I agree, Sara, He seemed to play with his brothers a little, not giving it all away upfront. Not sure of his motive, but it does point me back to God as the only perfect forgiver.
This study has been awesome so far. I wanted to make an observation about Joseph's grief that he had on a couple of different occasions. I was taught growing up to suppress my grief and have since learned that much like God has given us an immune system to heal our physical hurts, He has given us an ability to grieve to heal our emotional pain. How awesome is He and here is biblical proof of how critical it was for Joseph to grieve in order to completely work through his pain over his brothers' betrayal and be reconciled to them.
Psalm 131:3 (Message) Wait, Israel, for God. Hope Now. Hope Always. Do I hold hope this fleeting rainy night that God is behind what I struggle with? Am I waiting on God or man or circumstance? Am I like Israel thinking I've lost way too much? Holding something special---a life, a moment, a legacy? Gen 43:20 - Israel loved Ben more than anything. Not right. Whom do I love more than my Strong God? Gen 44:30 - Israel's life was so bound up in Ben. By what am I captured, captivated? Wondering this frigid night what "Hope Now" looks like for me? Thaw, oh my soul!
Joseph is such a great example for us all. I do think that his open forgiveness to his brothers truly came once he had "tested" them. When he saw how they protected Benjamin, and Judah was even willing to remain a slave in his place; and he saw genuine concern for their father, and their acknowledgement that this was a punishment from God for their past sins.... that's when I think Joseph was released from any ill thoughts and he was so ready to forgive with the wonderful grace of God. Joseph's heart (his words) reveal to us the closeness of his personal relationship with God. May I strive to know Him and walk with Him so closely that I see everyday His Great Story and not my own seemingly small part. Whew...its' 11:59 pm.. barely made it today :)
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