leading through grace

Most of us like a good story and I love a great book. Holidays are usually spent equally between sun, sea, sand a good read. My favourite kind of story usually entails a reluctant hero but one who, despite their acknowledged weaknesses and frailty, comes through to win the day.

The climax to the story of Joseph is for me just like that, which is why it is such a gripping tale. At the age of seventeen Joseph is the self-centred son number eleven who, because of his Father, becomes son no.1 with the special coat, not of the labourer but of the manager. In the next thirteen harsh and difficult years God is going to invest into him all that he will need to become the most important person of the known world, who will rule not by position and status but by grace, humility and justice. So when his brothers come to him he weeps, and when he is in the position for revenge he forgives, and when his brothers continue to cook up schemes he himself is love.

Genesis ch50 v15-20 says: When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, "What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?" So they sent word to Joseph, saying, "Your father left these instructions before he died: 'This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.' Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father." When their message came to him, Joseph wept. His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. "We are your slaves," they said. But Joseph said to them, "Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

May we hold true forgiveness in our hearts for those who wrong us and when times are tough, may we see the God who loves us and works in our circumstances to bring good into our lives.