not guilt or grief but grace…

dream managers see GOD’s hand at work.  they see GOD’s hand at work in life and in circumstances.  jacob dies. 

genesis 50.15-20 (niv), when joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead they said, “what if joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs that we did him?”

guilt again.  it’s a terrible thing.  when they threw joseph into that pit, who really went into the pit?  when they sold joseph into slavery, who really went into slavery?  guilt is a terrible thing. 

so they sent word to joseph saying, “your father left these instructions before he died.  ‘this is what you say to joseph, i ask you to forgive your brothers, the sins and wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.

it doesn’t even sound like jacob, does it?  sounds like one of those notes you used to write to teachers to get out of something.  they wrote one of those kinds of notes.

and now please forgive the sins of your servants.’”…when the message came to him, joseph wept.  his brothers came and threw themselves before him and said, “we’re your slaves.” 

and here’s one of the most dramatic moments in all the book of genesis.

joseph said to them, “don’t be afraid.  am i in the place of GOD? 

that’s somebody who sees GOD’s hand at work in their relationships, in their character, in their actions.  he recognized “i'm not in GOD’s place.  it’s not my place to judge, it’s GOD’s.

you intended it to harm me.  but GOD intended it for good, to accomplish what is now being done the saving of many lives.” 

in genesis 50 you see joseph living, not with his solution but with GOD’s solution.  not guilt or grief like his brothers or his father.  you see him living with grace.  here at the pinnacle of his life, the pinnacle for an opportunity for revenge he instead takes the opportunity to sum up his faith. 

just a thought from the front porch…

learn to forgive…

on the way towards that dream there were probably some people that hurt you.  when you reach that dream there are probably some people that wronged you.  if you hold on to an unforgiveness towards those people, you end up ruining the dream.  it would have for joseph.

genesis 42 you hear the story of joseph and his brothers.  we go back to square one.  here’s joseph.  he has the dream, he’s over in egypt second ruler in all of egypt, he’s feeding the world, and here’s his brothers. 

verse 1. (niv), when jacob learned that there was grain in egypt and he said to his sons, “why do you just keep looking at each other?”  because of their fear.

in genesis 42 you see the picture of a family who’s living with their solution instead of GOD’s solution.  you see the picture of grief twenty to twenty-four years later.  you see the picture of guilt at least twenty years later.  grief and guilt were still a part of this family’s life even a generation later.  look in verse 4 at the grief that’s still there. 

ten of joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from egypt but jacob didn’t send benjamin, joseph’s brother, with the others because he was afraid that harm might come to him. 

benjamin was the youngest brother.  the grief is still there, twenty years later.  when they sold joseph into slavery they thought they were getting rid of their problem.  they hadn’t solved their problem.  they invited their problem to move in, right next door, right in their house, right in their bedroom for twenty years.  that’s what happens when it’s our solution not GOD’s solution. 

some of you are living with your solution right now.  you’re thinking right now, “that’s the truth!”  you can make a change. 

just a thought from the front porch…