Our brother, Joseph

This morning as I concluded Genesis in my reading plan, I just sat in complete awe of our Lord. I read the familiar words of a familiar Bible face and thought to myself...what an amazing God centered perspective. The words of Joseph, But Joseph said to them, "Do not be afraid, for am I in God's place? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive. so therefore do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones." Seriously, stop and ponder this for a minute. Let's reflect on Joseph's life, he was a favored child of Jacob, only son of Jacob's true love, and he was given an amazing gift of dream interpretation by God. His own family..whom he should be able o trust, and depend on, turned on him, sold him into slavery in Egypt. Joseph's time in Egypt wasn't all fun and games, he was thrown in prison for years. Then later to be released and restored and used throughout the land to "preserve many lives." Joseph had every human inclination to be bitter towards his brothers. But as we followed his life...he lovingly took them in to his land and provided for them. While they were his enemies. What an amazing picture of what the Lord does for us, (For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. Romans 5:10) I wonder what Joseph thought when he met God face to face...I mean this man was incredibly humble..a servant in his heart and had complete trust in God. He even spoke his last recorded words as, "God will surely take care of you, and bring you up from this land to the land which He promised on oath to Abraham." Genesis 50:24. Joseph I'm almost certain was welcomed into Heaven hearing well done good and faithful servant.

What I absolutely love about the story of Joseph in Genesis, is how as you read through God's word in its' entirety you see Joseph had a confidence in God that was unshaken. He trusted in God to deliver him amidst crazy situations, and his faith did not waiver. I'm humbled how the Lord included Joseph's life story as an example to us as believers to trust and know that God has a plan. Joseph though having not read Jeremiah 29:11, trusted in God's plan, that it was for his good for a hope and a future for him.

I've recently been wrestling with the verse in John 12:25, "He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal." As I was awaiting results of a recent doctors visit, and wondering...is this something serious, that could be terminal? I was sorting through and array of emotions...thinking of course, "what about my children?" I want to raise them, and honestly I would absolutely LOVE to be an old lady one day. I love old ladies, I think they are fantastic, and a tremendous blessing to our world. The Lord in His kindness kept bringing me back to John 12:25, and as I was wrestling with the unknown I kept coming back to the known (whatsoever is true...think on such things Phil 4:8). I know that my God is able to deliver, I know that my God is a Healer, I know that my God brings all things together to work for His glory, and I know that heaven is a very real place that because of Christ's atonement on my behalf, I would be there..worshiping Him. It's that basic faith, the foundations of our faith that get us through, just as I'm sure Joseph cried out to God in the midst of being sold into Egypt and in the midst of serving an unfair jail sentence...that Joseph knew..God will work out every situation to His glory...He is God. He is in His PLACE! He alone is in Heaven and on His throne. I am so humbled that that God of all creation chooses to have a personal relationship with us, His created...and still full of sin, bond by the flesh..people. People who mess up, who don't follow him wholeheartedly, who are just desperate people. I've always said, "there is nothing good that dwells within me, except that which is of You." And the more I read and study God's word and understand Who He is, the more I really understand that absolutely nothing good is within me, only that which comes from the indwelling Holy Spirit of the God of all creation. Joseph is an encouragement to me, and I pray he is to you....what place have you given God? Remember...God already claimed His place, in fact He created His place, "in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" thus...God Himself created heaven ad His throne. God is there, He can not be moved..I would encourage you to get into the word of God, be engulfed by it's power, and allow our God to consume your heart with a passion and a discipline to consistently pursue Him so that you may know Him, and when those crazy situations come your way...like they did to Joseph and to me....you will call upon the Lord, and allow your mind to think on whatsoever is true (Phil4:8) and take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 cor 10:5). Which will bless your soul with the unparalleled peace of God and the joy of a heart surrendered to God's will.