Here I am with the last entry on our journey through Joseph’s story. I hope you’ve been able to learn something that you didn’t consider before in this series. I find it very educational to dig into these sermons as I consider the words of my pastor.
First of all, Life’s Not Fair.
God never promised us it would all be rose-colored if we’d follow him. But, he did tell us that he would be with us always. We can see in Joseph’s story that God used every bad circumstance in his life for the good of his people. Slavery, accused of assault of his boss’ wife and imprisoned all led him to be in the right place when Pharaoh needed to have a dream interpreted.
When Jacob, Joseph’s father, passes away things get a little crazy. Mainly because his brothers expect him to hold a grudge against them and now that their father is gone, there’s no reason for Joseph to hold back his condemnation of what they did to him. But, God shows them how he worked through all of Joseph’s life to prepare him to save them all.
GOD WORKS THROUGH THE LONG GAME
Joseph reassures them and speaks kindly to them.
Our stories are all different, yet the same. We have many things in common:
- It’s not fair
- Life is hard
Our response is varied. We may argue, say that we’re sorry, or laugh, but our situations are similar.
Joseph’s life was a roller coaster! Pain, trials, suffering, triumph when it was all said and done.
It’s easy to think God has forgotten about us during our lives. Sometimes we thought he’d gone away from us and left us without help. But he was there all along; working in silence, preparing us for what was next. God doesn’t cause our pain, but he does use it. Our story never ends with pain and suffering.
God has a purpose in our pain.
God was there…he whispered in Reuben’s ear, don’t let them kill him, hide him in the well…
Use the things God is preparing you with for something extraordinary!
God, help me be smart enough to learn what you want me to learn for this next phase in my life.
God sees the big picture. We only see one frame at a time. We can trust that God uses this time for good. Our life is not just about us. It has a purpose that God put in there.
What’s your purpose?
We think that getting even might make things better, but revenge doesn’t make our lives any better.
Joseph could have felt stuck in the middle. Look for the good in your life.
God sees our pain and he’s working it out for good.
Grace should be our first response. It can be hard work to give grace.
God is in control of the dark, tough times. Grace or bitterness; it’s your choice.
Choose wisely, because your actions will define you. Who do you need to give grace to? You will benefit as much or more than the person you give it to.
The grace is what brings this study to conclusion. Now what are you going to do with what you’ve learned? Who do you need to give grace to?
In Faith,
Pam
Where God Leads 