Year of the Bible : Week 5
This week, we finished our second book of the Bible. Congrats on making it this far!
Genesis concludes with Joseph and his kindness towards his brothers and their families.
“But Joseph said to them, ‘Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.’ Thus, he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.” – Genesis 50:19-21
With everything bad Joseph experienced in his life, how could he speak kindness and walk in forgiveness with his brothers?
Here are some things we can learn from the life of Joseph:
Joseph knew God – Joseph was raised in a family that knew God’s covenant promise to them. This was not a perfect family, but it was a generation of Fathers who walked with God, talked with God, wrestled with God, had dreams from God, and were blessed by God.
Joseph knew his Purpose – Joseph knew that God uniquely gifted him to help others. Through the dreams and wisdom God gave him, Joseph understood that he was created to serve God’s plan.
Joseph knew his Place – Joseph knew that God was in control of all things, and his faith never waivered. He lived a life submitted to God’s sovereignty, and he honored God with his words and actions, even when people were hateful toward him.
Today, we have God’s word to help us know God as Joseph knew him. We can study his word to understand how each of us is uniquely gifted to serve God’s purpose in the world around us. We may not be able to control the circumstances around us, but just like Joseph, we can trust that we have a good God who can turn any evil against us into good.