Genesis 50:19-20 And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.
As a child I was a little on the naughty side. I was in to everything. If something made a noise, I wanted to know why. If there were drawers I had never opened, I wanted to find out what was inside. Mama often reprimanded me for snooping, but in my mind, I was exploring the wide, wide world. Well, one day, I got curious about where the ants went, so I followed a trail of them to their hill and shoved all the mound away that they had worked so hard to build and I discovered the hole leading into the ground. I grabbed a nearby stick and began to dig. I was so intent on all the digging, I didn't notice the ants had gotten mad and declared war on me until my arms and legs began to burn with the bites of a hundred angry ants. I ran to the spigot and washed my little arms and legs off, but man, those welts hurt for hours. I think all the ants told their relatives, because ever since, they have exacted their revenge on me for destroying their home. They even must have spoken Portuguese because the ants down here in Brazil have been no kinder!
You know, sometimes we don't mean to get into trouble do we? Yet, we can be right smack dab in the middle of it because we aren't being careful. After I dug that ant hole as I child, I never attempted it again because I knew the pain it could cause me. Shoot, I can still imagine those angry red welts on my arms if I think about it long enough. And after you and I get in the middle of a mess in our lives, we don't ever want to go back there again because that heart pain is often more agonizing than physical pain. You would think that we would steer clear of things that could entangle us into the mistakes of our past at all cost. It's just plain common sense, right? But what about when someone else puts us into the mess and the painful situation is out of our control? What do we do then?
God gave us a wonderful example in the last few chapters of Genesis of how to handle unforeseen and unwarranted problems. Joseph was ripped away from his family, suffered unimaginably at the hands of strangers, and his entire life was altered because of someone else. In the end, however, he had learned a lesson in grace and in faith that was worth every miserable night of weeping he had spent. He shows us how to be Christlike in our behavior and look at life's trials through the eyes of faith that God is in control.
Joseph showed grace when he forgave his brothers. He showed faith when he told them that God had meant it all for good. Do you think God put this true story in the Bible for us just so we could teach it to children in Sunday School? Of course not! He knew (duh) that we would all need an example to follow. Look, don't treat the Bible (or God for that matter) like a foreign object in your life. The Bible is alive and relevant to me, you, and any other person that wants to read It. The heartache and victories of Joseph have many levels of application, and there is a simple one that you and I can grab hold of today. Choosing Grace and Faith.
Just this weekend I had to make a choice. Someone used words against one of my children that cut my heart so thoroughly that at the moment I read them, I immediately began crying. I sucked in my breath as I re-read what she had written and I wept. My first reaction was violence. Man, I wanted to get on a plane and fly to where she lives and pummel her with my two fists until I felt like she understood how rotten I thought her words really were. (I know, my flesh can be pretty mean, but I am bringing this down to where we all live on a day to day basis. This stuff happens to all of us.) Well, after getting my tears out, going to my husband and talking it over with him, I walked outside and looked up. I stared into the clouds and poured my heart out to the Creator of those clouds and told Him just what I felt about the whole situation. And there before me, I had a choice. Grace and Faith, or Unforgiveness, Revenge and Bitterness.
Joseph was a man with the same feelings you and I have today. He had to make a choice to either forgive or not. He had a choice to have faith in God's sovereign will or take it all into his own human hands. He chose by his own free will to do the right thing. And you and I can too.
After I talked to God, I made a decision. I decided that I would simply let it go. (please don't start singing that song! ha ha) I decided that I would take a step in my spiritual life and learn how to take the high road. I already know the pain that awaits if I were to seek revenge. Lord knows I have done that a LOT in my life. So, why should I seek to entangle myself back into that pain again? That person that spoke against my child meant it for evil, but God used it to let me grow closer to Him. He knew it was all going to happen. He was not shocked. He knew how it would make me and my husband feel, but He wanted it to happen because.....He wants ME, little old curious, mean spirited, rotten, Sheri, to draw closer to Him. And you know what? That makes me thank Him for it. I want to get to know Him better!
Is there a choice staring you in the face today? Can I encourage you, from one sinner to another, to choose Grace and Faith? It will be a step closer to knowing God better and you will find some peace there. I know it is hard and a lot of words like, "unfair" and "unjust" are running through your mind, but God is working something in your life, trust Him with the pain. Because in His other hand is the Balm of Gilead!
Until next time, Lord willing,
Sheri
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