“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.” – Genesis 50:20

Here, in a verse, is the beautiful mystery of God’s awesome, sovereign will. Even what sinful people intend for wicked purposes can be used by God to redeem and restore creation. Joseph, wise Joseph, could see the beauty of God’s sovereign will, even after suffering so long from the wicked schemes of sinful people. Thrown in a pit. Sold into slavery. Falsely accused. Unjustly imprisoned. Ungratefully forgotten. All so that through Joseph, God could save countless people across countless generations. And not just any people – the family from which Jesus Messiah would be born centuries later.

Joseph’s brothers absolutely meant it when they debated killing him vs. selling him into slavery. They desperately wanted to be rid of their annoying brother and his annoying dreams. However, those dreams that infuriated his family and led them to betray him also made Joseph comfortable providing interpretations of dreams to a king. Interpretations that would save so many. Interpretations that would ultimately save the world!

Remember that God is always working. He is always willing. He is all-knowing, all-wise, all-powerful, and all-good. For those who love God, all things really do work together for good, for those called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). What an incredible comfort and assurance in seasons of tribulation! What a strong hope when you’ve been badly mistreated! Hold firmly to confidence in God’s sovereignty when things don’t seem to be going your way. Because even when people mean evil, God can, and will, use it for good! #FollowJesus

“Then Joseph prepared his chariot and went up to meet Israel his father in Goshen. He presented himself to him and fell on his neck and wept on his neck a good while.” – Genesis 46:29

What an incredibly powerful moment of reunion. Joseph had been forcibly separated from his father years earlier as a young man. Sold into slavery in a foreign land, he never could have imagined seeing his father again. Even after rising to power in Egypt, the thought of seeing his father again would have seemed impossible. Words are inadequate to capture all the thoughts and feelings that must have been racing through Joseph’s mind and heart when he was once again with the father he loved. Joy… sorrow for lost time… regret for what should have been… thankfulness to God…

Realize that the joy Joseph felt that day was but a tiny portion of the joy you will one day experience when you see your perfect Father in Heaven! You see, we were each made to enjoy close fellowship with God the Father. That’s how it was in the Garden of Eden. That’s how life was meant to be. Unfortunately, we were forcibly separated by the Father by sin – Adam’s and our own. Because of sin, it’s impossible to imagine seeing the Father face-to-face. And yet, God in His mercy sent His Son, Jesus, into the world to make a future reunion possible.

Because Jesus dealt with our sin on the cross, everyone who entrusts their life to Him in faith will experience a glorious reunion with the Father in Heaven. Because we have been reconciled to God through faith in Christ… because we’ve been adopted as His children… we will one day have a reunion with the Father in which we will, at long last, experience the personal presence and relationship we were made to enjoy. That which is missing from our hearts and lives will be restored and enjoyed forever. That’s a reunion infinitely more wonderful than the one Joseph experienced so long ago.

Imagine the moment you first see God the Father! Delight in idea of seeing Jesus face-to-face! Enjoy every moment of your blessed relationship with God now through Jesus Christ. But look eagerly toward the day when your faith will become your sight! #FollowJesus

“Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the boy as a servant to my lord, and let the boy go back with his brothers.” – Genesis 44:33

People really can change! Judah certainly did. Years earlier, it had been his idea to sell his brother, Joseph, into slavery. He’d led the charge to get rid of their father’s favorite and make a little coin in the process. Then, Judah changed. It wasn’t overnight. But it happened. Along the way, he learned a humiliating lesson in righteousness from his daughter-in-law. He learned to love his family more than himself. He changed to the point that, in this verse, he offered to trade his freedom in order to save his youngest brother’s freedom and their father’s heart.

Joseph had carefully arranged a test to see if his brothers were changed men and Judah passed the test spectacularly! He’d learned to value others over himself. He’d learned to take seriously his responsibilities. He’d begun functioning like the oldest brother, even though he wasn’t. He’d changed completely.

Remember this and be encouraged by it. Remember that in the Lord, people can change. Maybe you. Maybe someone who used to be part of your life. If you’re frustrated by a lack of change in your own life, remember that if Jesus is your Lord, you’ve changed to become new creation and you have the Holy Spirit’s power in you to become more and more like Jesus. Likewise, if there’s someone in your life that you’ve written off as hopeless, remember that in Christ, change is always possible. Pray for them for as many years as it takes. Should they begin to demonstrate that they really have changed, keep your eyes open to see the possibility. Not everyone will change. But everyone can. There’s always hope in Jesus Christ! #FollowJesus

“Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went through all the land of Egypt.” – Genesis 41:46

Consider what it took for Joseph to reach this triumphant moment in his life, when he essentially became Pharaoh’s Prime Minister. From this position, Joseph would save both Egypt and the family of Israel from a coming seven-year famine. Reaching this point required walking a very long and painful road that would have broken most people. Broken their spirit, broken their will, broken their spirit.

Roughly thirteen years earlier, he’d been betrayed and sold into slavery by his own brothers. Sold for 20 silver coins, but mostly to get rid of him. Enslaved in the home of a prominent Egyptian official, Joseph rose through the ranks of his owner’s slaves. Then he was falsely accused of assaulting the man’s wife, who’d actually been assaulting him. Joseph then spent years in jail, just to meet the man who would quickly forget about him for two years before finally introducing Joseph to Pharaoh.

Thirteen years were stolen from the prime of Joseph’s youth. Stolen by slavery, slander, injustice, and neglect. And yet, Joseph never gave in to despair. He knew God was with him. He knew that God was his ultimate and just judge. So, Joseph resisted many temptations, resisted discouragement, and remained true to God when no person was true to him. All of this – as terrible, unjust, and miserable as it was – was God’s good, sovereign will to bring Joseph to the place of power where he could save his people AND his oppressors. What sinful people meant for evil purposes, God used to accomplish great good!

Should you find yourself in a long, hard, discouraging season, remember that Joseph’s God is your God. He’s still perfect in His knowledge, wisdom, goodness, justice, and power. His good will for your life will be accomplished! There’s no way to know what difficult seasons of life might be teaching you, refining in you, or preparing you for. But always remember that in Christ, God is always with you and you’re never alone. He always has good and meaningful works prepared for you to do and He loves you more than you can possibly understand. #FollowJesus

“Then he said, ‘Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.’” – Genesis 32:28

At long last, Jacob came to truly know the Lord! It wasn’t easy for him (indeed, it was costly). It certainly wasn’t quick. Although he’d been raised in a home that knew the Lord, it just hadn’t resulted in a personal knowledge of God. That came after decades of God’s clear favor and provision that should have made God’s reality and presence obvious to Jacob long before. But it hadn’t. Jacob hadn’t been anti-God, just un-engaged, proud, self-reliant, and unwilling to acknowledge the obvious. It came after years of protection and abundant blessing that even Jacob admitted but without truly bowing to God. Perhaps you know people like him…

For Jacob, it took yet another crisis. After years of living by his wits, tricking, and grasping at what others had, Jacob finally reached the end of himself. The bridges he’d burned long before were catching up to him. He desperately needed God. Even then, it wasn’t easy! He had to wrestle with the angel of the Lord all night long. He’d limp for the rest of his life from that wrestling. Sometimes that’s just how it is for people, including people you care about deeply. You can share the truth… you can point out the obvious hand of God in their life… but they must wrestle with God and faith for themselves. You wish it weren’t so, but there are plenty of Jacobs in the world.

If you have a Jacob in your life, someone taking their dear sweet time to embrace the Lord in faith, don’t give up on them. Pray for them. Encourage them to actually wrestle with God. Don’t yield to frustration. Stay faithful while they aren’t. Pray for God to make Himself and His hand in their life obvious. Pray that if it’s a crisis they need to come to know the Lord, that He will be kind enough to send them that crisis. #FollowJesus