HELP ME TO TRUST
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
“I am Joseph!” he said to his brothers. “Is my father still alive?” But his brothers were speechless! They were stunned to realize that Joseph was standing there in front of them. “Please, come closer,” he said to them. So they came closer. And he said again, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into slavery in Egypt. 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 45:3-8 NLT
TODAY’S THOUGHT
This is one of the great dramatic moments of scripture. Joseph’s brothers have come to purchase grain to survive the famine. They don’t recognize Joseph because it has been over 20 years and Joseph has adopted the language and dress of the Egyptians. Joseph sends them home with their money in their sacks but keeps one brother in prison until they return with Benjamin, Joseph’s full brother. Their father doesn’t want Benjamin to go but eventually they run out of food and have to go back to Egypt to more get food. On this second trip Benjamin comes with them. Joseph invites them to his palace for lunch. They think they are in trouble and tell the manager of the palace about the money in their sacks. The manager tells them not to be afraid. They are seated, by age, in Joseph’s palace to eat. Finally, Joseph can’t take it anymore and orders the Egyptian servants to leave and reveals who he is to his brothers. I can imagine the brothers are in shock and immediately become afraid that they are going to die because of their past treatment of Joseph. Instead, Joseph declares that it was God Who brought him to Egypt. Joseph sees the hand of God even working through the bad choices of his brothers. Instead of being resentful and seeking revenge Joseph has an amazing perspective on everything. The application of the story is that God always has a perspective that is different from what we often think. When we commit ourselves to trust God with our lives, He can work all things together for our good—even the bad things that others attempt to do to us. God is working—through the good and the bad to bring about His plan and purpose. Let’s keep His perspective at the front of our thoughts.
TODAY’S PRAYER
Holy Spirit help me today to see Your hand working in and through my life. Help me to trust Your work in every area of my life.
“Scroll down to share what you feel God is saying based on today’s reading.”