You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children’s children, and your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. There I will provide for you. Genesis 45:10-11
What a promise. Family members that acted out against Joseph were forgiven to such an extent that promises of provision and protection were made to them for the rest of their lives. How easy it would have been for the brothers to distrust Joseph’s promises. It would be human for Joseph to change his mind as he remembered their sins against him.
I was once God’s enemy. My acts against him were punishable by death. Yet, because of what Jesus did, God made me right with Him and called me His friend. Like Joseph, He has made sweeping promises of love, care, and protection toward me for the rest of my life and throughout eternity. But there are moments I’m skeptical because I remember my sins, feel the shame of them, and then shyness and fear overtake me. Confidence with God is shaken when I listen to my feelings and I’m skittish to own the promises He’s made.
Salvation gave me a priceless gift, the gift of a clean slate. My history of enmity was buried at the cross and a covenantal love relationship was born. It is ironclad, not because of me, but because of Him. If I’m plagued by the memories of my sin, the rehearsal of my past is not a holy thing. It is a satanic attack.
May my short memory take me back to the cross, not my sin. Amen
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