‘God sent me ahead of you’
by Ruth Olsen
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[Joseph] wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household heard about it (Genesis 45:2).
Read Genesis 45:1–15
Imagine yourself in Joseph’s sandals. Sold into slavery, taken against your will to a foreign country and culture, tested and found to be trustworthy, yet falsely accused and imprisoned for something you didn’t do. How would you deal with all of that?
Thirteen years of captivity (or slavery) is a long time! Some of us prefer to avoid or deny facing reality, blaming others and trying to blot out our pain. For some, it’s a much longer, painful process. Do we remember to cry to the Lord for help? Do we react (feelings), or do we respond with faith?
Going deeper and wider: Are we willing to learn to see from God’s perspective, to recognise our ‘tough times’ as ‘seasons of training’ for something the Lord is trying to help prepare us so that we are more ready to trust him – to work with him – when that ‘season’ comes about?
As the previous chapters in Genesis tell us, on recognising his brothers, Joseph wisely needed to test them to discern and discover their current attitudes. Had they changed at all? Could they be trusted?
Have you considered whether God can actually trust you with greater responsibility to be his person in a situation? Are you available to him? That kind of learning does not happen overnight! He chips away, builds up, strengthens, encourages and expands (if we are willing to work with him).
I recall being in a couple of situations of devastation where my loud cries were heard from further away than I realised. It was like a dam wall had burst. Joseph could no longer constrain himself. And now he works hard to convince his guilty, stunned brothers that he actually is their brother Joseph but was sent by the Lord ahead of them to provide for them in their time of need. The Lord went ahead of them, in and through Joseph, to provide for their good.
Father, increase your Spirit of wisdom and revelation in us so that we may know you better. Teach us your ways and the difference from our own – for Jesus’ sake.
Tough things happen in life for each of us at some stage. Currently, Ruth is on a health-issue journey with Jesus in a ‘winter season’. For helpful insights into seasons, she recommends Pastor Rolly Stahl’s teaching series, ‘Seasons of the Soul’, available on YouTube.
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