All TheseThings Are Against Me!!

And he returned to his brothers and said, "The lad is no more; and I, where shall I go?" So they took Joseph's tunic, killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the tunic in the blood. Then they sent the tunic of many colors, and they brought it to their father and said, "We have found this. Do you know whether it is your son's tunic or not?" And he recognized it and said, "It is my son's tunic. A wild beast has devoured him. Without doubt Joseph is torn to pieces." Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth on his waist, and mourned for his son many days. And all his sons and all his daughters arose to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted, and he said, "For I shall go down into the grave to my son in mourning." Thus his father wept for him. Now the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard.--Genesis 37:30-36

To My Daughters:

We have all felt like Jacob at one time or another in our lives.  Grief, loss and betrayal bring about such agony of spirit.  We cry out in despair thinking that everything is against us.  Our faith falters as we look at our circumstances .  Jacob had great affection for Joseph and his heart was rent in two at the loss of his precious son.  The most beautiful aspect of the story of Joseph for me is that the hand of God is apparent on each and every page.  What a comfort this is!!!  No matter what we may be facing in our life at this moment, God is in control.  What others might mean for evil, God meant for good.

But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. 

Beloved, look to the cross when you doubt the love of God.  The same God who sent His Son to die in our stead when we were yet His enemies, will do what is good for us continually now that we have been reconciled.  May we learn to wait on our God and may He increase our faith to see that it all is, in fact, working out beautifully.  May we all learn this lesson and react to difficulty not as Jacob (All these things are against me - Genesis 42:36) but as Joseph did  (Man may have meant this for evil, but God meant it for good).  God is sovereign and He does work all in the lives of those who have placed their trust in Him together for good.  I am standing on Romans 8:28.


And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

And on Psalm 23:6

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.


Love
Mom