The Book of Genesis
Day 421
Ge 45:5 "But
now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me
here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6 "For these two years the famine has been
in the land, and there are still five years in which there will be neither
plowing nor harvesting. 7 "And God
sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save
your lives by a great deliverance. 8
"So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a
father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the
land of Egypt.
Joseph, a friend
of God. We are not privy to his devotional prayer life, but it’s clear he has
been walking with the Lord. For he is able to put God’s spin on the situation.
Jesus, speaking to
His disciples, said in Joh 15:15 "No longer do I call you servants, for a
servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends,
for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.
Joseph has heard
from the Father in that he knows in spite of the wickedness of his brothers,
God is still in charge. Nothing can thwart His plan of salvation. Why not
forgive his brothers? God has used their attempt at wickedness to bring about
ultimate good. Joseph is saying to his
brothers, “Don’t you see what’s happening here? There is famine in the land and
there’s still another five years to go. If you weren’t pulled out of Canaan,
and if I’m not second in charge of all Egypt….we die! The Hebrews, God’s chosen
people to bring the Messiah to the world, cease to exist! God’s plan of
salvation is down the tubes!”
But God will not
let that happen. He is like the chess master who is always several moves ahead
of his opponent. Anticipating man’s sin, man’s wicked moves, the weakness of
his faltering saints, private plots, international intrigue, or whatever, God
is still able to bring about His purposes. His purpose is to save and deliver
His church, His people. He desires all to come to repentance. He desires all to
become a part of His church and therefore, be delivered.
Many times, it
looked like it was all over for Joseph, but God came through! Do not worry
about the things the world throws at you, rather concentrate on being God’s
friend, walking with Him. We do that by daily surrender to Christ, because when
we are surrendered to Him He fills us with His Spirit, and drives us into His
Word. It is in His Word that we too will discover God’s spin on things and not our
own or the world’s.
God’s spin is what
makes the world go around.
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