“His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. ‘We are your slaves,’ they said. But Joseph said to them, ‘Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.’ And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.”
– Genesis 50:18-21
Yesterday, we continued to look at the story of Joseph and we saw that after nearly twenty years of misfortune and trial, He finally witnessed the fulfillment of his prophetic dream — this is the culmination of his story. After interpreting Pharaoh’s vision, Joseph was elevated to a position where his power was almost equal to that of the king — truly a display of divine favor! Through this promotion, he became second in command in Egypt, which was probably the most powerful kingdom in the world at that time. The Lord’s faithfulness brought everything full circle and in the midst of a severe famine, his father and brothers came to Egypt to buy food. When that happened, it finally became apparent to Joseph what his teenage dream meant — his family was bowing down to him! At first, his brothers didn’t recognize him; they probably thought that he was long gone or even dead. Knowing that they didn’t expect him to be alive, Joseph did not immediately reveal to them who he was, but instead, he played a kind of game with them. When he finally revealed his identity, his brothers was not excited or elated, they were terrified! Why? Because they expected to be imprisoned or even murdered for their treatment of him. However, faithful to his character, Joseph extended God’s mercy and took care of his family. What an outrageous act of love and radical grace after enduring so many years of harm at their hand! Friend, no matter what kind of unjust suffering or pain you have faced, the Lord can and will turn it around and use it for your good and for the benefit of His Kingdom! Even after two decades of betrayal, injustice, violence and who knows what else, God accomplished His plan through Joseph. Not only did He bring family reconciliation, but He saved millions of people by strategically placing this Biblical hero in the right place at the right time. You see, this is what Jesus does — there’s no tragedy He can’t turn around and no difficulty He can’t redeem! If you remain faithful to what He has called you to today, He will get you to precisely where you need to be when you are supposed to be there. His timing is frustratingly perfect and He is always working for your good! |
Prayer
Jesus, teach me lessons from the life of Joseph and help me to stand in complete confidence, even when I don’t see where we are going or how we will get there. I believe you will redeem every obstacle.
Reflection
When in your life has God taken intended harm and turned it around for your good?