Love for One AnotherStruggles with Love
Live in the light of God (Isaiah 2:5) God's Plan Acts 7:9-15
The Message9-10 “But then those ‘fathers,’ burning up with jealousy, sent Joseph off to Egypt as a slave. God was right there with him, though—he not only rescued him from all his troubles but brought him to the attention of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. He was so impressed with Joseph that he put him in charge of the whole country, including his own personal affairs. 11-15 “Later a famine descended on that entire region, stretching from Egypt to Canaan, bringing terrific hardship. Our hungry fathers looked high and low for food, but the cupboard was bare. Jacob heard there was food in Egypt and sent our fathers to scout it out. Having confirmed the report, they went back to Egypt a second time to get food. On that visit, Joseph revealed his true identity to his brothers and introduced the Jacob family to Pharaoh. Then Joseph sent for his father, Jacob, and everyone else in the family, seventy-five in all. That’s how the Jacob family got to Egypt.
For ReflectionThe cycles of joy and suffering are the nature of Creation. God has always preserved our freedom to choose obedience. If it were not so, indeed God could be considered a punisher, puppeteer, or trickster. We often say in our response to troubles or tragedies, "Well God has a plan..." Such an idea may seem to make God cruel.
Consider that there may be no plan at all. Does our faith in God depend upon a belief that every action one takes has a detailed celestial plan? The plot of the story of Joseph seems to be a natural result of human choices. The fact, however, is that Joseph has a deep abiding faith in God. It is the foundation of almost every observation he makes and the action that he takes. As God's confederate, Joseph, rejected by his brothers, saved an entire nation, friend or foe, from starvation. In doing so, he shows us what is possible when we follow a faithful life in obedience to God's image.
And like us, Joseph, as God's accomplice, is not perfect. Perhaps a genuine resentment toward his brothers may have caused Joseph to manipulate them into a fearful circumstance. Joseph can not continue the persecution for long. Joseph eventually breaks down and cries, the pressure of retribution having weakened his soul's desire to love them. Joseph accepted his guilt for the vengeance he was extracting.
His faith allowed him to throw aside the seduction of retribution for the saving grace of restoration. This is the story of our loving God who works wonders through our every day walking around lives. PrayPray so that you will be able to see the series of events and connections in your life as the natural evolution of the will of God.
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