I hear Joseph coming.
He strolls around Egypt in his golden chariot. People know who he is by now. He is no longer the betrayed brother; but the 2nd most powerful man in town; or the world.
His suffering is off in the distance and only a reminder of where he was. He was the last person on earth his backstabbing turncoats believed would ever amount to anything.
But….Joseph trusted his God.
And God believed in his Joseph.
The fires of hell are smaller than we make them out to be. The enemy must have our consent to perform his sinister deeds. Joseph knew this. Joseph endured it. Joseph became what the devil could not stop. Joseph took authority over wickedness and won.
“What evil meant for harm, God turned for good.” Genesis 50: 20
And not just for Joseph but his string of Benedict Arnolds.
He was the favored son of Jacob, yet a pawn of sibling rivalry that ultimately backfired.
He was to carry on the lineage of Israel God set forth from his ancestor Abraham.
Joseph’s ability to forgive his brothers was a prized characteristic. It was a key element of God’s plan for it to be fulfilled.
He knew God had a much larger picture to be painted than one just with him in it even if he had no idea what the frame would include. As it turns out, Joseph was a survival kit in the making for the lineage of Jesus.
How often do we contemplate what God is going to do?
We dig deep in our closets for a frame to paint our plans. Opinions and brainstorming ideas are tinted with each stroke of the brush as if God is waiting to see what we have come up with.
Most likely he will never allow it to be placed in his gallery of artistry.
Why?
His ways are not our ways. Isaiah 55: 9
Joseph understood God’s future for him was limitless. However the notion he would reign as the only man directly under Pharaoh probably wasn’t on his radar. And I am sure his zealous brothers never “dreamed” the dream Joseph told them would ever come true.
The sordid clan he grew up with never saw it coming.
Shock couldn’t describe the look on their faces when they realized Joseph not only had risen to heights unseen, but he forgave them.
Why did he forgive them?
God’s plan for Joseph was to save his people; even if it meant immense loneliness and distress for the son of Jacob for many years. He held his faith in God through and over his pain. Why?
Because Joseph trusted his God to complete the painting.
And his God understood Joseph knew the painting would one day line Heaven’s gallery with the words written above it,
“It is finished.”
http://samuelatgilgal.wordpress.com/2013/01/12/love-and-the-christian-character/
http://goldenbible.wordpress.com/2013/01/12/a-psalmists-perspective/
http://timothyshockleysr.com/2013/01/12/just-a-thought-for-today-something-to-think-about/
http://goodchristianfiction.wordpress.com/2013/01/04/dont-let-time-get-away-from-you/
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wonderful message, thanks Cathy for sharing this with me
Terry, ur welcome. Joseph is one of my Biblical favorites.
Cathy Craig Neil, PMIC/Guardian Property Management, LLC 803-840-1946 blog: http://www.craigmotor.wordpress.com author/columnist: http://www.believers.bay.com
Great words for today.
I love Joseph. In some ways he represents fights I have had. Now I am ready to find out what God’s ending is for me!
Cathy Craig Neil, PMIC/Guardian Property Management, LLC 803-840-1946 blog: http://www.craigmotor.wordpress.com author/columnist: http://www.believers.bay.com
Hi Cathy, so very True many are two faced they say what you want to hear but not what they mean, they don’t want God’s Truth the Scriptures say they have itching ears … yes sadlt this is so True.
To Love we need to Trust first… when I become friends with others, I accept them wholheartdly, they don’t have to earn my Trust and this is what my friends of 30 years will confirm and some even longer, they are the same with me, and so we have genuine Love for each other.
As they say Actions speak louder then words but their actions do match their words… how good is that!
When God tells us He Loves us His actions show that He does but sadly with the Cult teaching that God deliberatly hurts us to teach us His will, even though the Scriptures do not confirm this error and in Truth say the oppersit ( see below) and because they also do not understand about His disapline, correction and chastisment, or His moulding of us into the likness of Jesus so they are very deceived. Mainly though it is because they do not understand the Hebrew translation and the meaning of it’s words, so sadly they think He does afflict them, but mainly their confusion is because they have not asked for or received His wisdom.
Lamentations 3: 33 For He doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.
Jeremiah 29 :11-12 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Yes it is True many today believe that is by God’s hand that we suffer and do not realise it is by our own choices and sin that we do. Because they believe this they fear God in their heart and so they do not Trust Him fully or others which means they don’t Love Him with all their being only in the flesh and the same with others…. sad but True.
Yes others may hurt us by their actions but God never will.
Christian Love Always – Anne
P.S I meant to add Cathy when I explained to you about the attachments, and thought they were what was stopping me from adding a Like on your Blog and perhaps stopping some others too, sadly you like the other Bloggers didn’t want to do anything about it, which does seem to confirm what WordPress said is True ( see below )
—– Original Message —–
From: “Elizabeth – WordPress.com”
To:
Sent: Friday, January 11, 2013 4:39 AM
Also I still cannot add a Like on some Blogs and you still have not got back to
me about this error.
Answer – Could you please reply with more specifics about this? Which blogs have you had this problem with? Bloggers do have the ability to turn on and off likes for certain posts or pages, or for their entire blog, so that might explain it.
I will of course respect yours and others wishes Cathy and not only not put a Like on your Blog but also not comment again.
Christian Love Always – Anne
P.S Jesus never looked the other way when people tried to deceive and sin, He told them to go and sin no more.
Excellent post as usual, Cathy.
Tricia
Thank you Tricia! God is good and I really can’t take credit for what I write; not that I know what I am doing anyway! But years ago when I wanted to write, I remember asking myself ” what do I write about?” Oh the years of training!
Cathy Craig Neil, PMIC/Guardian Property Management, LLC 803-840-1946 blog: http://www.craigmotor.wordpress.com author/columnist: http://www.believers.bay.com