Our Choice

This morning I am reading out of Gen 45, where Joseph reveals himself to his brothers, after they come to him for food when he is the Lord over Egypt.

Genesis 45:4-8 NIV
[4] "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 into Egypt! [5] 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. [6] For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping. [7] But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. [8] “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 was reading through this, I was thinking about Joseph and his heart. Rather then harbor resentment and bitterness toward his brothers, he saw the bigger picture. He recognized the hand of God, and the way the Lord had provided through Joseph, for his entire family. Clearly it did not look anything like what he had thought when he first had the dreams. The path to the fulfillment of the word, was full of difficulty and struggle, but God's purpose had not been thwarted.

When I think deeper on his life, it was quite the journey. He went from being the cherished son, to being a slave. Although he experienced much favor as a slave he ultimately ended up as a prisoner. He had experienced major set backs along the way, gone from bad to worse and back again, and in the midst of it all, he didn't lose his faith or his perspective. He knew that God had spoken a promise to him, and he held onto it, probably as the only shred of hope during his darkest days.

Rather than pay his brothers back, or exact any revenge, other than playing some mind games on them, his heart was full of love and mercy. I like to think that his life is an example of how we can choose forgiveness over bitterness, mercy over judgement, belief over unbelief, love over hate. He didn't give up, he didn't give in, he held onto that which God had spoken. He was a man who did not let the bad things that happened to him define him, but allowed them to refine his character.

I am encouraged by all this and know that if I hold onto the promises of God, and choose God's path every day, regardless of the struggles or difficulty I encounter, God's promise will be fulfilled and I will be a man who has been refined to look like my Savior.

As Peter says in 1 Peter 4:12 NIV: [12]. "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.". For difficulty and trouble are likely to come our way, its how we choose to live in the midst of them that is important. Amen Lord, help me!