God’s Intentions

I love the soap opera dynamics of Jacob’s family in Genesis. Not only does he have issues with his family of origin, there’s a lot of drama with his father-in-law and wives, as well as his sons. Oh, those sons. He favors Joseph, the dreamer. Perhaps because of his blatant bias toward Joseph, Jacob’s other sons at first throw Joseph in a cistern, then sell him to slave traders, and tell their dad Joseph has been killed by a wild animal. The story then follows Joseph as he is accused of inappropriate behavior with his master’s wife then spends years in prison awaiting justice. See what I mean about a soap opera?

Much later in an ironic twist, Joseph is second only to the Pharoah of Egypt. The brothers come to Joseph for food since there is a famine in their own land. Joseph reveals himself as their brother and reconciliation ensues. The brothers are fearful and unbelieving. Surely, Joseph couldn’t have forgiven them for what they’ve done. But indeed he has. At that point Joseph saw how God had used him through his brothers’ malicious behavior and placed him in Egypt to save an entire nation. Did God make the brothers act so horribly? Of course not. But as Joseph himself states, “What you meant for evil, God meant for Good.”

Though we can sit down and read those chapters in Genesis in only a few minutes, I wonder how many years it took Joseph to find perspective in being sold
into slavery by his brothers then being thrown in jail under false accusations once in Egypt. Most of the time it isn’t immediate that we see how God can use
people and events to work for the good in the Kingdom. But these kinds of Biblical stories teach us that if we are patient, God will work for the good. Psalm 37 states, “I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken….Wait for the Lord and keep God’s way.”

This week I’m working on patience. I’m working on patience in difficult circumstances. I’m working on trusting that no matter what people’s intentions are, God’s intention is only for the good. So, I’m waiting on that. And because I know how it turned out for brother Joseph, I’m waiting a little more patiently and thankfully.