“There is no love without
forgiveness, and there is no forgiveness without love” (Bryant H. McGill).
Joseph was the eleventh son of
Jacob. He was good with dreams, handsome, and Jacob’s favorite son. His
brothers hated him for obvious reasons. In fact, some of them hated him so much
they wanted him dead. Instead of death, Joseph was sold into slavery. Because
of his brothers Joseph became a slave, was tempted, was falsely accused, was
thrown in prison, and was forgotten by people he helped.
According to the world's standards, Joseph had every right to be
upset with God and with his brothers. He could have given up and not done his
best. But, because he did his best the Lord was with him (Gen.39.2). Joseph had
test after test in order to make sure that he would trust in God through it
all.
Joseph became second in command
in all of Egypt. He was put in charge because he trusted in God. Joseph could
have taken an army against his brothers when he was first put in command but he
did not. He just wanted to move on and forget about them. But, God has a
tendency to not let past hurts go untouched. Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt.
Joseph had all the power and I am sure no one would have questioned him putting
these men in prison or even killing them.
In the end Joseph tested his
brothers and saw their hearts had changed. He was betrayed in the worst way and
yet he still forgave them. He did not forgive them on his own though. He
forgave them by the grace of God. He realized that God meant this plan for
good. Joseph had faith in God and his plan. Without that Joseph would not have
become the man with one of the greatest comeback stories in the Bible.
So, will you trust in God’s
plan? Will you choose to forgive others even when they betray you?
Mark 11:25, Ephesians 4:32,
Genesis 50:20
Image from here.
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