“Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.” When
they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold
in Egypt! And do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves
for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead
of you…it was not you who sent me here but God”—Genesis 45: 4-8, NIV.
That soul who can see God in the cobwebs and furnaces of life will surely by and by become great and shall live to tell it. Joseph, one of the famous characters in the Bible is perhaps one of the best illustrations of this fact. Hated from the very day of his birth by his siblings his life was a small hell on earth, at least in its early days until middle life. They persecuted him to the point where they nearly killed him were it not for the intervention of God who “allowed” them to sell him into Egypt, instead.
But Yahweh is a God who stuns you at every turn.
When He promises something He sticks by it as stubbornly as a postage stamp will do to its letter and often, more stronger and too faithful than a postage stamp can afford. Sometimes I even fear that He is too faithful to allow any circumstance chasing you bury His promises on you into oblivion!
Here it is, again! No amount of persecution, torture and hatred could deter Him from delivering His packages of blessings on the young and innocent Joseph!
After all the pain shame, humiliation and torture, God at last, crowned the young man Second in Command over all Egypt! And the speech just quoted comes from one of those moments after Yahweh had raised him up to the VP office. His brothers, the very ones who sold him and had conspired to kill him were now standing before him ruing. And the 32-year old victim of their malice and conspiracy recognizes those “wolves in sheep’s skins” as they fear for their worst now.
Take note of this: as he faces his betrayers, Joseph has all the powers to deal a tit-for-tat deathblow on them. But, alas! Grace amazes me! And something is terribly wrong with you if it doesn’t strike a note in you. The young man does not punch a tit-for-tat hook! That’s unbelievable! Instead of throwing his deathblow on them, he turns to them and reassures them thus: “do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you…it was not you who sent me here but God.” What a stunning statement a mortal can ever make! Full of deep faith and trust in God’s control of our affairs in life!
Where he could have a ‘good excuse’ to use to humiliate and hate his brothers Joseph sees God in action. That is perhaps the attitude young people and the whole world lack today. How many of us today are harboring hatred against others because they could not see God in the cobweb of their trying moments but only human plots, prejudices and malice and we have ended up blacklisting some innocent folk for what we claim are their “unpardonable sins” against our sanity? Only heaven knows!
And so what shall we say today? They are great who harbor no malice and hate none for the stray melodies of life that sting their ears; souls whose eyes can see the handiwork and or traces of the Master Architect’s paintbrush in the background of life.
As for me, I salute and respect those souls who in the streams of their biting tears can still manage to say to their tormentors and traitors, “do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for…it was not you who sent me here but God”
But I fear to say this: they are perhaps bastards who cannot tell the footprints of their Father on the sandy shores of life.
And so, today as we go out, remember, you may go through certain experiences which to all appearances are meant to destroy your life. Don’t forget the Joseph winning attitude, ‘it is God who has sent me ahead of you’! And add Paul’s words to that which say, “All this trouble is a clear sign that God has decided to make you fit for the kingdom. You're suffering now, but justice is on the way. When the Master Jesus appears out of heaven in a blaze of fire with his strong angels, he'll even up the score by settling accounts with those who gave you such a bad time. His coming will be the break we've been waiting for…”
(2 Thessalonians 1:6, The Message).
Halleluiah! Those cops can as well begin to flee now otherwise it won’t be good news for those who dare attack the Lord’s anointed any longer.
And to all “other-tormentors” and any villainous souls, let me add this: do not take it for granted when your victims forgive you. Perhaps, you should thank Yahweh for bearing the revenging deathblows through my HERO, the man folk know as JESUS, the “Galilean” who was brave enough to take those blows upon Himself even before they were launched on you. Don’t be proud and think yourself a champion of life just because I chose not to strike you back. It is all because Grace struck me sweet enough to teach me a new song and I am proud but not too arrogant to sing and share it with you!
Therefore, I pray: LORD, open my eyes to notice that every cross that my enemies may hang me on only bolsters Your plans for me as it serves to lift me closer to You than anything can afford and my enemy may suspect.
So, help me never to hate my crucifiers. But, teach me love and forgiveness that I may know Your power in my life and spread Your Grace. Amen!
Have a good day, my friend!
That soul who can see God in the cobwebs and furnaces of life will surely by and by become great and shall live to tell it. Joseph, one of the famous characters in the Bible is perhaps one of the best illustrations of this fact. Hated from the very day of his birth by his siblings his life was a small hell on earth, at least in its early days until middle life. They persecuted him to the point where they nearly killed him were it not for the intervention of God who “allowed” them to sell him into Egypt, instead.
But Yahweh is a God who stuns you at every turn.
When He promises something He sticks by it as stubbornly as a postage stamp will do to its letter and often, more stronger and too faithful than a postage stamp can afford. Sometimes I even fear that He is too faithful to allow any circumstance chasing you bury His promises on you into oblivion!
Here it is, again! No amount of persecution, torture and hatred could deter Him from delivering His packages of blessings on the young and innocent Joseph!
After all the pain shame, humiliation and torture, God at last, crowned the young man Second in Command over all Egypt! And the speech just quoted comes from one of those moments after Yahweh had raised him up to the VP office. His brothers, the very ones who sold him and had conspired to kill him were now standing before him ruing. And the 32-year old victim of their malice and conspiracy recognizes those “wolves in sheep’s skins” as they fear for their worst now.
Take note of this: as he faces his betrayers, Joseph has all the powers to deal a tit-for-tat deathblow on them. But, alas! Grace amazes me! And something is terribly wrong with you if it doesn’t strike a note in you. The young man does not punch a tit-for-tat hook! That’s unbelievable! Instead of throwing his deathblow on them, he turns to them and reassures them thus: “do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you…it was not you who sent me here but God.” What a stunning statement a mortal can ever make! Full of deep faith and trust in God’s control of our affairs in life!
Where he could have a ‘good excuse’ to use to humiliate and hate his brothers Joseph sees God in action. That is perhaps the attitude young people and the whole world lack today. How many of us today are harboring hatred against others because they could not see God in the cobweb of their trying moments but only human plots, prejudices and malice and we have ended up blacklisting some innocent folk for what we claim are their “unpardonable sins” against our sanity? Only heaven knows!
And so what shall we say today? They are great who harbor no malice and hate none for the stray melodies of life that sting their ears; souls whose eyes can see the handiwork and or traces of the Master Architect’s paintbrush in the background of life.
As for me, I salute and respect those souls who in the streams of their biting tears can still manage to say to their tormentors and traitors, “do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for…it was not you who sent me here but God”
But I fear to say this: they are perhaps bastards who cannot tell the footprints of their Father on the sandy shores of life.
And so, today as we go out, remember, you may go through certain experiences which to all appearances are meant to destroy your life. Don’t forget the Joseph winning attitude, ‘it is God who has sent me ahead of you’! And add Paul’s words to that which say, “All this trouble is a clear sign that God has decided to make you fit for the kingdom. You're suffering now, but justice is on the way. When the Master Jesus appears out of heaven in a blaze of fire with his strong angels, he'll even up the score by settling accounts with those who gave you such a bad time. His coming will be the break we've been waiting for…”
(2 Thessalonians 1:6, The Message).
Halleluiah! Those cops can as well begin to flee now otherwise it won’t be good news for those who dare attack the Lord’s anointed any longer.
And to all “other-tormentors” and any villainous souls, let me add this: do not take it for granted when your victims forgive you. Perhaps, you should thank Yahweh for bearing the revenging deathblows through my HERO, the man folk know as JESUS, the “Galilean” who was brave enough to take those blows upon Himself even before they were launched on you. Don’t be proud and think yourself a champion of life just because I chose not to strike you back. It is all because Grace struck me sweet enough to teach me a new song and I am proud but not too arrogant to sing and share it with you!
Therefore, I pray: LORD, open my eyes to notice that every cross that my enemies may hang me on only bolsters Your plans for me as it serves to lift me closer to You than anything can afford and my enemy may suspect.
So, help me never to hate my crucifiers. But, teach me love and forgiveness that I may know Your power in my life and spread Your Grace. Amen!
Have a good day, my friend!
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