Verse of the day: Genesis
37:23-24 So it came to
pass, when Joseph had come to his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the tunic of many colors that was on him. 24 Then they took him and cast him
into a pit. And the pit was empty; there was no water in
it.
If
we are doing all we can to live for the Lord, it is absolutely amazing to look
back and see how the Lord got us here from where we were, by His grace. Some of
us can look back in awe as we realize all that we have been through, both good
and bad, and see how God’s hand was guiding in every detail, and in ways that
we did not see while we were suffering through it. As we go through the life of
Joseph it is easier for us to see what God was doing because we have the story “after
the fact”. However, for Joseph this was a traumatic experience that started to
come together long before his father Israel sent him to check on his brothers
(v. 12-14). Joseph being an obedient and dutiful son, who loved his brothers, went
to Shechem, then Dothan, without hesitation. The possibly still lingered, in
the minds of both Israel and Joseph, that the brothers could face danger from
the people of Shechem for what they had done previously. Joseph, upon being
informed that his brothers went on to Dothan could have just returned home and
informed Israel; but instead, he chose to seek out his brothers’ wellbeing. As
he searched for his brothers, the Scriptures tell us that a “certain man” found
Joseph in a field and directed him to Dothan (v. 15-17). These are the kinds of
details that many of us would consider a “coincidence”. However, with the Lord
there are no coincidences. Everything that has taken place up to this point was
all part of God’s plan and God’s doing. He used Joseph’s relationship with
Israel, Joseph’s integrity, his brother’s hatred, and this stranger’s
direction, to lead Joseph to the pit. When we read this account, we do not
think much about what Joseph actually suffered while in the pit. A pit, or
cistern, was a type of well, was used to store water, but was also used as a
prison when empty. Joseph being cast into this pit would have not known what
his fate would be, as there was no water, and his brothers certainly did not
care, as they sat down to have a meal. His brothers, in recounting this event,
felt great guilt as they said to one another in Genesis 42:21, “We are truly
guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he
sought us, and we would not hear.” Joseph obviously may have thought that he
would perish in this pit. Little did he know that this was just the beginning
of his sufferings on the road to living out God’s plan for his life. So often,
as we seek to serve God, and live for him, He will allow us to experience
circumstances that will overwhelm us, and leave us in a position where we know
that only God can get us through it. I often hear people say, “God will not
allow us to go through more than we can handle.” I am not sure where they get
the biblical basis for this, as the Lord has certainly allowed people to go
through more than they could handle, so that they would learn to trust Him
completely in those moments. The Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 1:8-11 how
they suffered to the point of life and death, but it was God who delivered
them. It is natural not to want to experience pain and suffering. Nonetheless,
it is sometimes necessary in our lives in order for the Lord to mold us and
shape us, in order to prepare us for the task(s) He has in store for us to
perform for the sake of His Kingdom, and His glory. All the while that Joseph was
in that pit, the last thing he was thinking about was the dreams he had told
his brothers and father about in that someday they would bow down to him. This
was the beginning of God humbling Joseph, and pruning him of his youthful
pride. All he could see at this moment was the real possibility that he was facing
the end of his life. For many of us, it seems that life is always throwing us a
curve ball, and we seem to always find ourselves in these pit stops. However,
let us not forget that sometimes God has to allow us to end up in the pit in
order to redirect our attitude, perspective, and path. Ultimately, just as the “certain
man” crossed Joseph’s path, so God would send the Midianite merchantmen to
continue directing Joseph toward Egypt, where he would serve a great purpose in
God’s plan for both Joseph, and God’s people. My brothers and sisters, let us
not forget that this path that we are on is not just about us; it is about God’s
plan, God’s glory, and those that God will use us to serve and lead to Him.
This is much bigger than any of us; so let us trust God to see us through all
that He allows us to go through in order to get us to where He wants us to go.
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