THE RIGHT KIND OF COMFORT
My eyes long for your promise; I ask, “When will you comfort me?” Psalm 119:82
One of my favorite paintings is one of a young man entering heaven. He is weary, barely walking, and Jesus catches him in a welcoming embrace. The comfort he seeks in embraces and shared tears greets him in person. Continue reading “THE RIGHT KIND OF COMFORT”
The spirit of their father Jacob revived. And Israel said, “It is enough; Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.” Genesis 45:27b-28
It’s amazing how, with Christ, my heart can adapt to a place of contentment. Jacob was thrilled with the news that Joseph was alive, so much so, that he was willing lay all other hurts aside and focus on the joy of seeing his son again. Joseph’s supposed death had only been one of his many griefs. The way he died, the brother’s treachery, these were nearly as crushing as losing his son. At this point in the story however, the joy of being reunited with Joseph eclipsed the pain of all else that took place before.
Nothing replaces the payoff that comes when I take time to grieve. Like Jacob, my tears are spent and I am open to a new perspective. God’s perspective. I am willing to settle for something different and am empowered by the Spirit to adapt to see life differently.
A neighbor had to leave her home of 43 years to enter an assisted living facility. She grieved over all the familiar things she would have to leave behind. With time however, she grew to cherish the handpicked things she would take with her to her new home. God gave her the grace to settle in new surroundings and find contentment.
It is human nature to look at what I lost rather than what I have left. I want what I once had and overlook the treasures still in my hand. God will help me re-align and re-adjust. All grief gives me an opportunity to lift my eyes to what is eternal. I find comfort, and I find joy, as I review the promises of God for the future. Only this perspective can lead me from the throes of unending grief and bitter tears. When I think my hands are empty, God shows me that they are, indeed, full of blessings I couldn’t see before. The child of God is never without riches even in the worst of times.
Change is certain. Security is also certain. Show me what is in my hands. Amen
HOLY IMAGINATION
Now out of the ground the LORD God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. Genesis 2:19
Most Christians starve their God-given imaginative gifts and believe that sacred dreaming is reckless and might border on witchcraft? Does it?
God formed the dust of the ground and made cows, cats, dogs, monkeys, and antelope. After he completed each, he nudged each one to go to Adam so Adam could name them. I love how Genesis describes this part of history. “God brought them to the man to see what he would call them.” There was a bit of suspense as God saw Adam tap into his creativity. “What shall I call something soft, furry, with a tail?” God enjoyed seeing Adam use his mind in a creative way.
I am made in the image of God. He, the one who imagined the earth before He made it, has infused me with the same desire to dream and create. How can I know if my imagination is safe to use? I take Isaiah’s advice. “Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things.” Isaiah 40:26 If my imagination is brought captive to prayer and scripture, then it is a gifting like all others.
I believe one of the reasons our prayer meetings and personal prayer times are so dull is that we fail to use our imagination in prayer. What happens when we take a scriptural principle and develop how it might look in the desert of human need? The possibilities are endless.
Just as God brought the animals to Adam to name, he brings opportunities my way to engage my mind in ways that more resemble play than work. Adam wasn’t a child when he thought up all the names yet I picture him having the time of his life as each animal emerged from behind a tree. He laughed, pointed, exclaimed over God’s playful and creative side, and then conjured up a name. I know a sense of his joy. Most days, writing with God in the morning is like playtime.
Because Adam walked with you, his imagination was holy. Help me use my creative gifts with more confidence. Amen
A LIFETIME OF WAITING
So they went up out of Egypt and came to the land of Canaan to their father Jacob. And they told him, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” And his heart became numb, for he did not believe them. But when they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. Genesis 45:25-28
When Joseph disappeared from Jacob’s life, something broke inside of this father’s heart. Hope died. His spirit withered. It would be this way for another 20+ years until he got the news that Joseph was not dead but very much alive in Egypt. When he heard it, he could not believe it was true. He had already grieved his son’s death. Disillusionment had been his companion. His heart had grown cold to good news. When enough evidence had been presented however, Jacob’s heart revived. It came to life after a lifetime of learning to live with disappointment.
Can God do a new thing in my later years? Yes. When something catastrophic happens in my teens and I learn to adapt by closing off my heart, can God introduce something called hope years later? Yes.
When I’ve been a dreamer in my twenties and one disappointment after another causes me to shove my dreams underground, can God resurrect them decades later? Yes. In my mortality, decades seem like an eternity and fool me into believing that life is always going to be this way. Trust in a God who can write a new plotline no longer seems like an option.
What is it you’re waiting for today? Or, should I ask what you’ve stopped hoping for? Longevity has revealed a trail of disappointment and it would suggest that it’s futile to trust God for anything different. You believe that prayer and hope in God’s promises is for someone still enjoying the dreams of their youth. Oh, it’s not so. Not everything is as it appears. Jacob held what he thought was bloody coat of his son Joseph, but the evidence of his supposed death was a sham. Joseph was very much alive and living out his faith a day at a time until some future day when he could send word to His father that all was well.
This could be the very day of your breakthrough. Tell your heart to stand at attention to see the miraculous hand of God write the next chapter of your life.
I lived to see my own resurrection. All because of You. Amen
BLESSED BY ASSOCIATION
And you, Joseph, are commanded to say, ‘Do this: take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. Genesis 45:16
Would Pharaoh have honored Joseph’s brothers if he’d known them as Hebrews visiting Egypt? Never. The blessing came because of how much he loved Joseph. Whom Joseph loved, Pharaoh loved.
I descend from those whom people honored. My father, a principal in our public school system, was well loved and respected. Because of that, honor was given to his family. My father-in-law, an iconic evangelist, well loved for his passion for reaching the lost, was also well loved and respected. By carrying his last name, I am blessed on the road more often than I remember. My husband, Ron, is well loved. He leads well, has never made an enemy, and because of His reputation, I am blessed. Even today, because he is held in high regard with the owners of the company he works for, Daughters of Promise will receive a gift toward our office computers.
Do I need to have an honorable family on earth in order to be blessed by association? No. That would be unfair if that were the only criterion.
Today, you and I are blessed because of our association to Jesus. God, His father, loves those whom the Son loves. Because reconciled us to His Father and made us brothers and sisters, God beckons us from the land of famine to the land of plenty. He provides everything we need for the journey. Our future and inheritance is guaranteed because Jesus has taken care of it.
And my deliverer? Like Joseph, he was spurned and rejected by men. He was sold for financial gain to end up in chains before Pilate. His hardship paved the road for my redemption.
Father, I enjoy the smile You have for me today because I love Your Son. Bless those whom I love – because I am Yours. Amen
SHORT MEMORY OF MY SIN
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 for the rest of their lives. How easily would it have been for the brothers to distrust Joseph’s promises? Joseph could change his mind as he remembered their sins against him. They acted like his enemies after all.
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. How can I trust Him? I remember my sins, often walk in the shame of them, and shyness overtakes me. Confidence with God can be shaken on a daily basis.
Humanly speaking, I’m nervous to claim God’s proclamations of love. I’m skittish to own the promises He’s made. Standing in faith is impossible if I am unsure of what God’s forgiveness really means. If I believe that God forgives like people forgive, I will be waiting for the other shoe to drop. I will have a short memory of my sin and believe that God does too.
Joseph was a type of Jesus. He forgave and chose to put the brother’s betrayal behind him. Jesus does the same. He forgives, puts my sins behind His back and never takes them out again to rehearse my past. Salvation gives me a priceless gift, the gift of a clean slate. My history of enmity is buried at the cross and a covenantal love relationship is born. It is ironclad, not because of me, but because of Him. Jesus Christ speaks wedding vows to me that will be consummated in heaven. A Bridegroom who desires and longs for the one He loves keeps every promise.
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. I’m called, as Jesus’ beloved, to grab my self-condemning thoughts and speak, out loud, His very Words that prove that I am a forgiven and cherished bride.
May my short memory take me back to the cross, not my sin. Give me more confidence in our relationship. Amen
WHO BENEFITS FROM MY REDEMPTION?
So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. Genesis 45:8
In my opinion, this is an overlooked part of Joseph’s story. Because I’m self-focused, I get caught up with how Joseph felt on the other side of imprisonment. I imagine him being reunited with his brothers, and mostly, with his father. I never think about how Pharaoh benefitted from crossing paths with Joseph, that Joseph’s influence over Pharaoh was fatherly.
To be a father is to be in a position to advise, to take care of or administrate. The day Joseph was dragged into Pharaoh’s court, Pharaoh gained a confidant; someone without an agenda. This was a priceless gift for a ruler. Never knowing who to trust and never allowing one too close, kings and pharaohs lived lonely lives. Consider what Pharaoh witnessed as he became acquainted with someone who walked with God.
All of Egypt was saved from famine because God brought Joseph to Egypt. His redemption from imprisonment to power saved more than just the Jewish people. So widespread was his influence that even Egypt was able to preserve its people through the drought.
My redemption never stays in a closet. People close to me watch it unfold and God’s power is on full display. His glory falls on those intimate with me but also to my acquaintances. You and I become ‘fatherly’ or ‘motherly’ to those who’ve never trusted before, to those who have waited to see something beautiful displayed in a world that is savagely broken in two. When I give up on God before a stunning breakthrough, I deny myself, and everyone around me, from seeing God’s kingdom come to earth.
I wait on You, God. My hope is not in vain. Your glory, waiting to be revealed, is just out of sight. Give me spiritual grit to see this through. Amen
THE STUMBLING BLOCK OF GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY
So it was not you who sent me here, but God. Genesis 45:8
Really? Joseph believes that God sent him to Egypt? I thought it was the sins of his brothers that sent him there and God just made good out of it. No. Joseph dared to tell the ones who hurt him, “You didn’t do this to me, God did!” Such is the stumbling block of God’s sovereignty.
One of the most disturbing messages I heard when I was wrestling with the sovereignty of God was from John Piper. He said, “Who crucified Jesus? God did!” Admittedly, it took a good year for me to make peace with a God who gives free will, knows ahead of time the choices of sinful humanity, and weaves a glorious plan of pain and redemption into the life of every child.
But here’s the thing. If I’ve never trusted God with my story and pressed in close over time to see redemption, the truth of His sovereignty will be a stumbling block to me. This sad reality characterizes most of the church. We are deeply angry with God for what He did not prevent.
Because His suffering had meaning, ours can too, when we realize that we can go through horrendous experiences with the same purpose He had, trusting and then magnifying the worth of the Father. Christianity is a wildfire when spread by the hot winds of adversity. I will miss it if I’m eaten away with the anger of injustice.
Today, someone watches a loved one wither away with cancer. The loss will either cripple them or cause them to more fully embrace the joy that life is eternal. And today, a parent’s heart breaks over the path of a rebellious child. They will be tempted to disown their own son or daughter or they will choose to explore the truth of their own past rebellion against God. They will trace, once again, his never-ending supply of lovingkindess and tender mercy.
With each cross comes a choice. Meaningless suffering or the opportunity to find the heart and purposes of God in our tears. Joseph discovered the latter. Oh, the sweetness when it’s framed in the comfort of God’s sovereignty and the power of His redemption.
There is not one thing I have experienced, or ever will experience, that can be called a meaningless tragedy. Be lifted high over my life and as I look up, let others follow my lead and see Your glory. Amen
DREAD OR ELATION?
And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence. So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. Genesis 45:3-4
The difference between Joseph appearing to his brothers and Jesus appearing in the clouds to take us home is that we know He’s coming. The brothers did not expect to see Joseph and they were shocked at his disclosure. Dismay and dread were their instant reactions.
Dismay and dread will also characterize the reactions of many in God’s family. It’s tragic to me that such a wondrous event will be clouded by lack of enthusiasm. Jesus told us that He’s coming. He told us that the timing will be a surprise. He told us to prepare in every way to see Him. Joy is meant to be the prevailing emotion at His arrival, not sorrow.
There are three categories of people within the family of God who react differently at the thought of seeing Jesus.
Joseph’s brothers had no way to prepare for the reunion with the brother they betrayed. They would need to see Joseph extend His arms to them in mercy to know where they stood. But you and I can prepare for the coming of Jesus. We can know where we stand with Him by a review of the cross and an honest reflection on our level of discipleship
Help me admit, and then probe, every trace of shyness in my spirit. Amen
SHOULD I BE OPEN OR PLAY IT SAFE?
Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him. He cried, “Make everyone go out from me.” So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. And he wept aloud, so that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it. Genesis 45:1-2
Joseph tested his brothers severely. It might have appeared that he had no mercy when he kept Simeon, imprisoned him, and gave the remaining brothers the stiff terms of his release. Joseph’s heart was unreadable, safely concealed, until such time as the nature of their hearts would be revealed. Once they showed the agony of true remorse, his heart would be on full display. He would weep so loud that the sound of it would penetrate the grounds of his vast residence.
What is my response to a sincere apology? If I’ve been in a relationship that turned treacherous, one that required that I prudently step back for time, it might appear to the other person that my heart is cold. But, in fact, I am praying for us both. I’m praying that their hardened heart will eventually soften because of the conviction of the Spirit, and I’m also praying that mine will not become hardened because of unforgiveness. The only reason Joseph could handle his brothers with such wisdom is because he had many thousands of hours alone with God. He, a Hebrew, lived as an outsider in Egyptian territory. Loneliness was God’s gift and the perfect training ground for impartial leadership.
Who has offered, what appears to be, a sincere apology? If God speaks to me and tells me that true remorse is present, what will my heart do? Will I keep it imprisoned in my tower of self-protection? Or, like Joseph, will I be willing to pour out the tears that have been hidden? Letting another see my heart is only possible when pride is put aside. How many times have I said, “I’ll never let them see my cry!”
Joseph offers me wise counsel in matters of the heart. He, like Jesus, has vast emotional capacities. He had many faces as he related to others. There were moments when he would have been called stoic but underneath was a current of tears that gave away the heart of a broken man.
There’s a time and a season for everything. There’s a time to conceal and a time to reveal. I have to be careful that I don’t live a life of concealment; ever protecting a heart that has been hurt one too many times. I also have to be careful that I don’t live a life of complete openness; allowing anyone and everyone access to my thoughts and emotions. Real maturity is knowing what Jesus would do in the midst of complicated and ever shifting relationships.
Without instruction of whispers from You, I’m chaff in the wind and continual prey. Amen
