But God…
For the past several weeks, Pastor Adam has shepherded us alongside Joseph on his journey from favorite son… to pit dweller …to slave… to man of power… to prisoner… to Egyptian royalty… to weeping brother. We have seen Joseph endure highs and lows and seemingly impossible situations, and all the while, Joseph maintains faith and hope in this journey that quite frankly doesn’t appear to warrant either. How?
This week, as we enter the scene in Joseph’s Egyptian palace home, take a minute to really put yourself in that house, into the ultimate family drama unfolding. Joseph stands before his brothers; they have passed various tests he set for them since their arrival in Egypt. Joseph sees (and hears) how his brothers have changed, how God has brought them back to him in the very way he dreamed about as a naïve (dare we say boastful?) youth. Can you imagine the emotions swirling in his mind and heart at this moment?? He can’t stand the rapid beat beat beat of his heart any longer; he has to tell them who he is!
Joseph’s face is painted in Egyptian makeup, symbolizing his royal status and distance from his Hebrew heritage… BUT God uses Joseph’s grief, sorrow, relief, joy, forgiveness, and love to sluice away the very symbolic Egyptian makeup, streaking it down his cheeks to reveal himself as Hebrew Joseph to his brothers, who had once abandoned him in the desert. Joseph cries, “I am Joseph!” As his makeup continues to wash away with the tears he weeps, he tells them to, “Come closer! I am your brother, who you sold into slavery!”
Can’t you just see it? Can’t you just hear him begging them to know him? For them to see that he knows them and loves them, even after all they’ve done. How is this his response? How does he then go on to offer them comfort and reassurances to “not be upset, do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here”? The only answer can be God. Joseph has had years of hurt, and likely many frank conversations with God from the bottom of a jail cell, to embrace the fact that God has never left his side. That the God of his father has been working in all things to bring about this moment of redemption and reconciliation with his family. The very same family that God promised to Abraham and to Jacob, to be used years later for his ultimate act of redemption and reconciliation for all of us.
Joseph knew the truth that his God, the God of his Father Jacob, had never stopped being the God who works invisibly, inevitably, and redemptively, using his love to lead his people to a place of repentance and reconciliation.
As we look through evidence of this truth this week, let’s pause each day to sit in awe of the fact that this journey we’ve seen Joseph embark on is just a small section of patchwork in the painstakingly woven tapestry of hope and love that our God has been weaving since the moment sin first entered the world, and will continue to wrap around each and every one of us every day of our lives. All because we are his favorite children. Because He wants us to come home and be with Him, our Father, for eternity.
Monday
Read: Genesis 45:5-9 (highlight or write down all the times Joseph gives God credit in these verses)
Pastor Adam talked about how God worked invisibly in Joseph’s life, his whole life. We, of course, can also see this theme throughout the Old Testament as we follow God’s people of Israel, but something unique about Joseph is that he recognizes that it is happening. Joseph gives credit to God while he is not even very far removed from the hard situations. His perspective on life has a “God is working” filter that helps him forgive his brothers but also live in hope and faith while trusting that his circumstances will be used for a bigger purpose.
What if we were able to adopt this perspective? Even if just for a fraction of the time? Would it take away the hurt and pain of life’s difficulties? No, as we see, Joseph suffered a great deal. But maybe it could help us find hope. Help us refocus our attention on our God instead of giving power to the Earthly offenders in our lives. Take a moment to reflect on a difficult situation you’ve gone through and see if you can see even a glimmer of how God was/is working invisibly to draw you closer to Him.
Tuesday
Read: Genesis 22: 15-18; Genesis 35: 11-13; Genesis: 48: 3-4
I will. I will. I will. Pastor Adam pointed out this short little phrase in the passage where Jacob talks to his son Joseph (Gen. 48:3-4), telling him what God promised him about bringing forth a “multitude of nations” from his family line. As we see in Gen. 22:15-18, Abraham (Jacob’s grandfather) is promised the same thing years before. Throughout the Old Testament, we see God answering these covenantal promises through these famous brothers in our current story of Joseph. These twelve sons of Jacob, who seemingly were irreconcilable for decades, became the forefathers of the twelve tribes of Israel. And from these tribes of Israel come the lineage of Jesus, our messiah (Matthew 1:1-17)- the ultimate reconciler. It’s wild. The inevitability of God keeping His promises is demonstrated time and time again throughout history, written out for us like a thesis in the Bible.
How reassuring is this?? How comforting for us to know that we have a God who keeps his promises across years and years and years. Across miles and miles and miles. Across all time and all distance. Our God is to be trusted. Think about this today. About how God reveals His character to us in stories and words preserved in His Word so that we can know who He is. How can this knowledge influence the way we think about God and about the promises we see from his son, Jesus, if we trust in Him?
Wednesday
Read: Proverbs 16:4, Ephesians 2:10, Matthew 6:33-34
Worry about the past, worry about the present, worry about the future; we all do it. For those of us who follow Christ, we even worry about our place in God’s plan. Focusing much of our attention on the “how,”“when,”“am I doing this right?” and “what is my calling?”, etc., etc. Pastor Adam used these three verses above, in addition to the promises God made to Jabob, to help us see that God works in inevitable ways. We don’t need to fret about all the details of our lives or our place in God’s plan. Phew. Easier said than done, though, right?
When you read those three verses, which one brought you the most peace or comfort? Whichever one it is, try one of the following as a tool to help you remain available to what God is doing in your life – even if it is invisible to you, it is inevitable to Him.
~Write it on a notecard/sticky note and put it somewhere you will see it often.
~Pull up the verse in your Bible app or on Google on your phone and make it the background of your cell phone.
~Record yourself (or someone with a calming voice!) reading it aloud so you can listen to it as a meditation when you feel worry start to creep in.
May we be open vessels to do whatever God has for us without needing to understand or even be aware.
Thursday
Read: Gen 50: 15-17; 20-21
Demonstrating wisdom and understanding once again, Joseph realizes that his brothers are still fearful that he will retaliate against them or take back all of his promises now that their father is dead. He weeps because his brothers still don’t get it. Joseph has lavished provisions upon his brothers without asking anything in return. Yet, those brothers are still waiting for the other shoe to drop, like Joseph is just sneakily biding his time to get back at them for their earlier betrayal. Never has Joseph pretended that what they did didn’t happen, in fact, he reminds them right away when he reveals himself to them, saying, “I am your brother, the one you sold into slavery.” He puts it out there in the open and then offers them grace upon grace. But they just don’t understand.
We can be just like those brothers. God tells us very plainly that “all have sinned and fallen short” and then very clearly offers us grace upon grace, freely, with the death and resurrection of His son. He sent His son to die for us so we can be fully reconciled to Him. No strings attached. All we have to do is accept it. Why is it hard for us sometimes to fully accept that we are truly forgiven? What is it about human nature that has us wondering what we need to do to earn God’s love, when He clearly says we are His children whom He loves dearly. How can you sit with open hands and receive the grace being offered? How can you bask in that grace today?
Friday
Read: Romans 5:10; 2 Corinthians 5:18-19; Ephesians 2:12-13
Joseph understood and accepted that God was moving and working His purpose in his life. He was willing to be used as God’s vessel, even though what that looked like for him was hardship upon hardship for years and years. God utilized Joseph to help repair what sin had broken in his family. Joseph was instrumental in bringing his brothers and father to a place of reconciliation that was truly beyond human repair. From those relationships being repaired, the pathway to Jesus, the world’s reconciler, was paved. Joseph was a true agent of reconciliation because of God.
When we read verses like those above in the New Testament, we see that Jesus has reconciled us to God. The wall between Him and us has been broken by the death of his son, Jesus. Once we reconcile ourselves to Him, we too can be agents of reconciliation. We can be agents of peace and hope in this world that greatly needs more of both. We can help repair what sin has broken in relationships, in our communities, and in our world. And we can tell others the best news – that they too can be reconciled to Love Himself. What feelings does this evoke in you? How does knowing that God can use you as an agent of reconciliation influence how you interact with those around you? Where in your sphere of influence do you see the need for reconciliation?
Saturday
Read: Matthew 11: 28-30
As Pastor Adam explained on Sunday, God sending his son to die for us was the ultimate “But God,” to redeem our souls and bring us into complete eternal reconciliation with Him. The incredible thing is, He is also working invisibly, inevitably, and redemptively in our everyday struggles, just as He did for Joseph. God wants us to bring our hurts to Him and be reminded that He is with us always.
As we reflect on the past week and God’s character as revealed in this story of Joseph, think of or write down a few “But God” statements that apply to your life right now. What feels overwhelming to you right now? What is too painful for you to talk about to another human right now? What are you dreading or anxious about? How can those situations lend themselves to a “But God” statement you can cling to?
Example: “I am overwhelmed with my work/life balance right now, I don’t know how I’m going to get everything done that needs to be done this week. BUT GOD will be with me through it all, and He will give me the strength I need to make it through.”
Our brains are powerful tools, and by practicing reframing our thoughts in a way that causes us to focus on the truths of God in the midst of our struggles and pain, we can help shift our whole mindset to have more of a “God is working” lens. A lens of hope.