May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, and may he send back your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.”. Genesis 43:14

When Joseph disappeared, Jacob held Benjamin close. He wasn’t going to let this other favored son out of his sight lest some something bad happen to him too. God tested him. For everyone in his family to live, Benjamin must go to Egypt. Jacob didn’t give in easily. Only famine and the threat of extinction wore him down until He finally caved.

Are you tired of fighting? You’ve held on to hope and clutched your dream. You’ve not let anyone too close for fear that your resolve would be challenged. No one knows that your iron will is really quite fragile.

No one can predict the moment when someone will give up control. Resolve to make things work eventually crumbles. Sheer grit melts away and surrender to God’s providence takes over instead. The humility of true surrender marks a stunning turning point.

Dreams are fragile things in a fallen world. Perfection here is impossible. The cancer of sin metastasizes and touches everything I want. While good things do happen and pleasurable seasons come for a time, perfection is deferred. And ultimately, loss and grief will consume me if I don’t learn to invest all my dreams into the storehouse of eternity.  It’s okay, and necessary, to let my Benjamin go. David said, “And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you.” Psalm 39:7 Everything holy thing I long for will eventually be mine.

Help me understand that longing is to mark the life of every saint. Let mine be joyful confidence, not malcontent. Amen