I was reading from Genesis this morning. Particularly, the story of Joseph and what happened after his brothers sold him as a slave to the Egyptian’s. Joseph found favor with Pharaoh because he was able to translate Pharaoh’s dreams warning of a famine. Joseph was put in charge of the whole land of Egypt because of wisdom and plan for surviving the famine.
When Joseph’s brothers came to get food for his family, he could have taken his hurt and anger out on them. But, he didn’t. They sold him into slavery because he was Jacob’s favorite and they were jealous of him. Can you imagine how Joseph felt at the time? The betrayal would have to cause feelings of resentment if not hatred, but in Genesis 45:5, 7-8, it says, “And now, 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….But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.”
As I thought about Joseph’s ability to see how God is at work in our lives long before we will ever realize it, I thought about my life. I certainly never experienced anything quite so extreme as Joseph, but I’ve seen God’s hand at work. Feeling so calm during times that might send me normally into a tailspin. Sometimes, God places us where we’re needed. It could be something as simple as being there for someone that is worried about a loved one suffering from from something you’ve gone through. When I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes , I always felt that it was not something I should freak out about. I’ve been able to reassure others that it’s something you can live with if you take care of yourself.
Even when things seem stacked against you, sometimes you have to take a step back and see how God is at work. This is hard to do because it’s difficult to detach yourself from the emotions that go with it. It’s not always apparent why things happen the way they do. We may never understand why while we’re on earth and by the time we are in heaven, it won’t matter. Just when you thought you had it all figured out, the rug gets pulled out from under you and you’re left asking “why”. Just when you were tempted to give up what you’d been praying about, God comes through with an answer that was beyond anything you could have imagined.
I don’t know what struggles you are dealing with today, but I do know that God is in control. He may not be answering you the way you expected or wanted, but his way is best! Go with it…
In Faith,
Pam
Where God Leads 