January 26
Genesis 45-46
Psalm 16:7-11
Proverbs 3:17-18
Matthew 16
Perspective
“Then Joseph said to his brothers, ‘Come close to me.’ When they had done so, he said, ‘I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you…. So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God.” Genesis 45:4-5, 8 NIV
“I keep the Lord in mind always. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be defeated.” Psalm 16:8 HCSB
We have mentioned several times in the last month that God may not change our circumstances, but He will change our perspective if we keep our eyes focused on Him. There is no better example of this than is seen in today’s reading. Joseph had his eyes and mind focused on God. His brothers had beaten him, thrown him in a pit and left him to die. Then they decided to make a little profit, so they sold him into slavery. Joseph could have easily been filled with anger and bitterness toward his brothers. He could have spent those years in prison plotting his revenge and planning for the day when he could get them back for what they did to him. They deserved to be put to death. They deserved the same treatment they had given him. Now, after all those years they had shown up needing help and Joseph was able to do whatever he wanted to do to them. He could have had them beaten and thrown in prison. At the very least, he could have sent them away to die in the famine. But that was not his response to them. His response was forgiveness and mercy. He was overwhelmed with joy to see them. He was able to see his life from God’s perspective and not his own and to see that God had orchestrated the events, even the bad things his brothers did to him, to place him in the position to save his family from the famine in the land. That is not a natural response. He had his eyes focused on God.
Joseph, like the Psalmist kept the Lord in his mind always. God was at his right hand leading him and guiding his steps. He was able to respond to his brothers in the way that God wanted him to respond because God was constantly before him. He wasn’t driven by his fleshly emotions. His actions were guided by God’s still small voice. That was only possible because he maintained constant communication and blessed fellowship with his Father, and He had complete faith in God.
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