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.” NIV
I’m back in the story of Joseph. I love this story.
Jacob has now passed away and has been buried. The brothers have all returned with Joseph to Egypt after the funeral, and they have become newly worried that Joseph will harm them in retaliation for what they did to him when he was a boy. The threw him into a well and then sold him off to a band of gypsies because they were jealous of him.
But Joseph is a man of God. He sees how God used the gypsies to achieve His purposes … that the 12 brothers, who would father the 12 tribes of Israel would be saved through Joseph’s presence in Egypt.
I love what this story teaches us about God’s timing and God’s purposes … both of which are perfect. And I love how Joseph’s words here are echoed in Romans 8:28, “All things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to his purpose.”
But, what I love most about this story are the gypsies. My father often says, “before his brothers ever threw Joseph into the well, God had started the gypsies on their way to him in the desert.” When bad things happen, my parents often counsel me to look for the gypsies … they are there, because God always provides for His children.
Sometimes, it’s hard to recognize the gypsies. Sometimes I worry that I will miss them. But, worrying about my problems, and then worrying if I will miss God’s solution to my problems are roots of the same issue. God says not to worry … over, and over, and over, and over again. Maybe not 365 times, but, I’ve found nearly 60 reminders so far — that’s more than one for every week of the year!
It’s pretty clear to me that I am not to worry. Instead, I am to trust in God and in His perfect timing and His perfect will.
365 Days of Peace 