And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence. So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them. After that his brothers talked with him.
--Genesis 45:3-5, 15
In today’s passage, we see a wonderful biblical picture about the power of forgiveness.
Imagine, if you will, that you were one of Joseph’s brothers…one of the brothers who had sold him into slavery. If it were me, I’d think I was done for!
Joseph was now in an incredibly high position of power in Egypt. He could have done anything to these guys! He could have put them in jail or executed them on the spot.
But look at what Joseph says to his brothers: “Do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life” (v. 5). And then, look at what happens in Verse 15: “And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them. After that his brothers talked with him.”
What a reunion! What a restoration! Joseph embraces these brothers who betrayed him and welcomes them into his presence. He gives them the kiss of love and the kiss of life. Joseph’s example serves as a testimony to the power of God to forgive and the power that God gives us to enable us to forgive.
So I’d like to ask you, is there someone in your life who you need to extend forgiveness to today? Because if Joseph can forgive his brothers for what they did to him, you can also forgive…with God’s help!
God will give you the power to forgive.
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.”
Luke 17:17–19
Dr. H. A. Ironside recounted the story that once when he was about to begin his meal in a restaurant, a man approached and asked if he could join him. Ironside invited him to sit down, and then bowed his head in prayer. When he was finished praying and opened his eyes, the other man asked, “Do you have a headache?” Ironside replied, “No, I don’t.” The man then asked, “Well, is there something wrong with your food?” Ironside said, “No, I was simply thanking God as I always do before I eat.” The man said with some contempt, “Oh, you’re one of those, are you? Well, I want you to know I never give thanks. I earn my money by the sweat of my brow and I don’t have to give thanks to anybody when I eat. I just start right in!” Ironside replied, “Yes, you’re just like my dog. That’s what he does too!”
Though all sin is wrong and bears consequences, there are few sins more damaging to our lives than ingratitude. Romans 1:21 places it at the beginning of the downward slope away from God: “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” If we think that we have little or nothing for which to be thankful, we have a skewed view of the world. All that we have is a result of God’s goodness and grace. Nothing that we have is truly our own, and without Him, we would have no help or hope for the future.
Today’s Growth Principle:
It is impossible to be an obedient and fruitful Christian without being a thankful Christian.
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