Go, Go, Go Joseph!

As part of the Missionary Development Program I’m doing I have to read through the Bible, cover to cover. I’ve made it all the way to Genesis. (This is a joke, for those of you who are not Bible readers, since the very first book of the Bible is Genesis)

The story of Joseph is really interesting. There is so much going on, every time I read it something completely new catches my attention.


First of all going back to before Joseph was born; the love story of Jacob and Rachel. I just can’t imagine how angry Jacob must have been to be tricked into marrying Leah after working for Rachel’s hand for SEVEN YEARS! It kind of makes sense why Jacob loved Joseph more than his other sons. Not that loving one child more than another is right, but I can understand where he was coming from. He truly loved Rachel, enough to work 14 years for her hand, of course he is going to have a different connection with the son she bore him.

But the thing that really stuck out to me this morning was Joseph’s understanding of why everything happened the way it did. He wasn’t angry with his brothers (although he did play some mind games with them at first), and he certainly wasn’t sitting around whining, “Why me?” After everything that happened to him; being betrayed by his brothers, being sold into slavery, being thrown into jail FOR YEARS for something he didn’t do, he welcomed his brothers, the ones who betrayed him and SOLD him in the first place, with open arms.

“Come closer to me,” Joseph said to his brothers. They came closer. “I am Joseph your brother whom you sold into Egypt. But don’t feel badly, don’t blame yourselves for selling me. God was behind it. God sent me here ahead of you to save lives.”

Not only does Joseph not ask God “Why me?” but he doesn’t hold a grudge against Him or the brother who SOLD him. He understood that it was all for a purpose; to save lives. He understood that God’s plan was bigger and better than he was. Joseph understood that even though he went through some hard times it was all part of God’s plan!

Hhmm…I think there are lessons to be learned in this.

Can I ever get to the point where I trust God so much I don't even ask questions? Where I don't whine and complain and wonder, "Why is God putting me through this."

God's plan is FOR GOOD, it always is, why is it so hard to trust that?

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