Genesis 45:4-5 “Come closer to me,” Joseph said to his brothers. They came closer. “I am Joseph your brother whom you sold into Egypt. But don’t feel badly, don’t blame yourselves for selling me. God was behind it. God sent me here ahead of you to save lives.”

Here the story of Joseph and his family reaches a climax. Joseph must have laughed a little at his brothers. These big, strong men, full of bravado, who did not hesitate to tear their younger brother away from his father and sell him, were now so afraid that they crawled closer like dogs with their tails between their legs.

However, Joseph did not abuse his position of power. He didn’t do to his brothers what they had done to him. He didn’t repay them in kind. I suspect there’s no room for retaliation in an intimate relationship with God.

In such a relationship, wisdom grows instead. Wisdom that turns around things like retaliation. Wisdom that helps you not only see the circumstances you’re facing, but also the bigger picture. It’s as if you have a bird’s eye-view that helps you to look differently and react differently.

Joseph suffered. His journey wasn’t easy, but he had come to the point where he understood why he had to go through it. He realized that the path to God’s will is not always the easiest path. But it is precisely on that path that God carries you and gives you the strength to finally live His story for your life.

I suspect Joseph did not see God’s plan from the beginning. In the pit he was terrified. In prison, like any prisoner, he just had to survive. But when you allow God to be in control, you can keep fighting, even if you don’t see the full picture. That will come later with wisdom.

Now we must concentrate carefully, because our Father also expects this of us. May this be true of us: that we are willing to grow in wisdom, that we continue to strive and allow God to shape us, so that we can work together and live together within His plan for our lives.

Prayer
Father, to be honest, it’s not always easy to keep going, but I can’t do differently. I must, I will, I can …

Questions
Can I see God’s bigger plan in difficult things that have happened to me?
Do I still hold on to hurt or do I choose to forgive?
Do I trust God even when I don’t see the full picture?

Do this now
Today, think about someone who has hurt you.
Pray for that person and ask God to soften your heart.
Take one small step toward forgiveness, even if it’s just to stop speaking badly about them.