I felt an unction to write a daily devotional for August, and it has been personally very beneficial. As I thought about the post for today, I recalled a previous post I wrote about the importance of understanding the purpose behind the trials we experience. Often, we do not understand the benefit or purpose of our trials due to the fear of the cost required for our victory. This fear will limit our ability to understand how and why we are in the struggle we find ourselves in. Hopefully, this repost will bring you blessings!
As I read Genesis 45-46 this morning, I was intrigued by the parallels we see in our own lives. Joseph was second in command in Egypt by God’s hand and had just revealed his identity to his brothers. These were the same brothers who sold him into slavery many years before. So many years had passed that the brothers no longer recognized Joseph. Joseph had every right to be bitter and resentful towards his brothers, and he could have used his position and wealth to shame them, but he did not. He did not because Joseph had long ago let go of the bitterness and resentment that could have been in his heart towards his brothers.
How was Joseph able to let go of this pain? Joseph understood that all the past years had been about God’s plan to save a nation. He understood that his brothers’ betrayal was to bring him to a place for his God assignment. He understood that his teenage dream of his brothers and his father bowing down to him was a preview of what God had in store for his life. There was a Purpose in the trial. It was God’s purpose.
Joseph said to his brothers….Genesis 45:4-8. Please, come closer,” he said to them. So they came closer. And he said again, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into slavery in Egypt. 5 But don’t be upset, and don’t be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives. 6 This famine that has ravaged the land for two years will last five more years, and there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. 7 God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors.* 8 So it was God who sent me here, not you! And he is the one who made me an adviser* to Pharaoh—the manager of his entire palace and the governor of all Egypt.
This is again later confirmed by the psalmist. Psalm 105:16 He called for a famine on the land of Canaan, cutting off its food supply. 17 Then he sent someone to Egypt ahead of them— Joseph, who was sold as a slave. 18 They bruised his feet with fetters and placed his neck in an iron collar. 19 Until the time came to fulfill his dreams,* the Lord tested Joseph’s character.
The dream was not about Joseph’s family bowing before him in humility to his own greatness. The dream was confirmation at that moment that God was involved in this trial. Joseph must have remembered that dream and the trouble it got him into with his brother’s jealousy. But was this also God’s plan? God needed to get Joseph into the land He had preordained to send a nation of people, His People, and God needed someone to serve as His agent of protection for those people. God chose Joseph…many miles away.
God does not need someone close by to accomplish His purpose. God can move people like a chess piece on a board to bring about His will and purpose, but God does need the right character involved. God tested Joseph and Joseph was faithful.
Does our character ever abort our God-ordained purpose? Can we pick up bitterness and resentment along the way and poison God’s plan for our lives? Hebrews 12:15 says “See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;”
The word “defiled” carries the meaning of staining morally in such a way that it carries a cultic or demonic process with it. Just as a freshly painted wet fence would stain all who touch it, the defilement of bitterness will stain all who come in contact with it. For this reason, many families carry generational issues of prejudice, bitterness, and resentment, and entire families are stained by this horrible defilement. Hatred breeds among families and ethnicities without understanding the ugly root of bitterness that may have been planted years or even centuries before.
Back to Joseph…what if Joseph had allowed a root of bitterness to spring up in his heart? A consistent fruit of bitterness as defined above is that of leading to cultic and godless behavior and especially immorality. Again, in Hebrews 12, verse 16 warns of the result of such bitterness, illustrated by “godless and immoral Esau. In Genesis 39, Joseph revealed his pure heart when he was tempted by Potiphar’s wife to commit fornication, but refused to dishonor himself and God. There was no immorality or godlessness resident in Joseph’s heart.
There is a purpose or lesson in every trial. First as has been said, “adversity strips us to our fighting weight.” Adversity reveals the content of our hearts and offers the opportunity for self-examination. We can see what is in our hearts and repent and allow God to cleanse us of this deadly sin. (See 1 John 1:9). If we do not, we will proceed in a direction that will lead to aborting our God’s purpose. Joseph chose the high road of honor to God.
What is the results? When Pharaoh learned of Joseph’s family, he set aside the best land in Egypt for Joseph’s family. (See Genesis 45:18) What was that land? It was Goshen. God had moved on Pharaoh’s heart to bless His people.
In Hebrew, Goshen means “drawing near”. God was not only drawing Joseph’s family near to Him, but He was also gathering His people in a single place to draw them near to Himself. In March 2020, I heard in prayer, “You are a Goshen people.” This was during the beginning of the pandemic and my first thought was that God’s protection would be around us, just as He protected the Israelites during the plagues. This is true, but more importantly, that protection comes as we draw near to God in our hearts and our obedience. I heard and ministered many times about finding God in the secret place and staying close to Him.
Have we found purpose in our trials, or are we still nursing bitterness in our hearts because of the tools used to get us into a place where God can use us and bring about His purpose, not just for our individual selves, but possibly for a family, a church, or even a nation? We may not always understand the big picture that God sees, but we must trust Him in all things. Our responsibility is to maintain the integrity of our heart and character in every situation, regardless of the circumstances.
The story of Joseph cannot be fully appreciated unless we see the big picture of all God was doing. Joseph faced fear, disappointment, temptation, and mistreatment but he remained faithful in heart and character.
What is God developing in each of our hearts? How quickly are we offended by circumstances that we may not understand? What we can do is take confidence in the Word and Love of God. His Word tells us that above all we guard, we are to guard our heart (See Proverbs 4:23). Why? Because our heart will determine the course of our life. Our hearts will qualify or disqualify us. Our heart holds the purpose of God only when our heart is near to Him. Ask God to see the Big Picture!
