This morning, I read from the Bible and studied the way Joseph revealed himself to his brothers (after so many years away).  In reading, I was reminded

• How his brothers thought Joseph intended harm, when Joseph only intended good,
• How the brothers thought they would die during the famine, when Joseph knew his position would provide for their needs, &
• How the brothers thought their kept lie, their sin from so long ago was too large to forgive, when Joseph proved how big the forgiveness God provides REALLY IS !

SEE WITH ME.

“Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried, ‘Have everyone go out from me.’  So there was no man with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. . .

Then Joseph said to his brothers, ‘Please come closer to me.’  And they came closer.  And he said, ‘I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt.

Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. . . .

God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance. . . .

“But Joseph said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for am I in God’s place?”

As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.

So therefore, do not be afraid;  I will provide for you and your little ones.”  So he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.”

(Genesis 45: 1 & 45: 4-5 & 45: 7 & 50: 19-21)

Sometimes, we are given a burden to bear, one that seems too large, too heavy, too much for us to handle, when God sees us where we are, where we’ve been, and where He is having us go.  God knows that when we link our lives with Him, when we go where He leads, and put our hands to the tasks that He gives us to do, then the burden does not become an exhaustion but a blessing from God.

Yes, God knows our future.

Yes, God sees our future.

Yes, God’s timing is impeccable.

Yesterday, in visiting with my beautiful, best friend, she reminded me of this truth.  In talking about anything and everything, as we consumed sweet, delicious cinnamon rolls (on a Saturday, a whole day early—if you know me at all), and while we enjoyed precious time shared—It was in that setting that Julie shared this beautiful story.

An international missionary living in Romania received a shipment of Bibles years ago, boxes of Bibles in Russian, a language not spoken there.  The missionary wondered why he received this cargo and even attempted to give away the many boxes of “what he thought was a shipment clearly sent to the wrong location.”  No one wanted these boxes of Bibles printed in the Russian language, so he stored them in a closet somewhere, thinking, “Never will I need these Bibles.  In fact, I need the closet space more than I need these Bibles in a language no one speaks.”

God’s timing is impeccable.

God knows the future.

God knew that years later, refugees would flee to Romania, and as they sought safety in another country, God would provide them His Truth provided through His Word—in their own language, no doubt!!!

God is God of tremendous omniscient power, plans, and purpose!

GOD IS CLEARLY GOD, and we are not.

GOD KNOWS THE FUTURE, and we do not.

GOD SEES WITH CLARITY ALL THAT LIES AHEAD, and of future days, we Do Not.

God,

We make plans, and dream “BIG” dreams.  We look at the journey we are walking, and sometimes we wonder, “God, where are You taking me?”  We make plans, and then You take us on a new path.  Today, we are proclaiming, “We trust You!”  Oftentimes, we pause, look over our shoulder at where we were, where you have brought us from, and we exclaim, “Thank You, God, for getting us through THAT situation, THAT struggle, and THAT season of time that seemed to last like, well, for eternity.

So, God, we are here, on the other side of that arduous journey, and we pause like so many who came before us to pray and say, “Thank You.”  Let us pause and praise how You have seen us through, how You have provided all that we needed, and how You could see where we were going even when we could not.  We trusted You, then, God, and thus, we ask that in our future days, when times become tough, when temptations to complain arise, when thoughts of turning back permeate our mind, and when the enemy’s attacks seem greater than our faith—AT ALL OF THE MOMENTS, HELP US LORD TRUST YOU.

Help us know that your plans are greater, higher, wider, and far more beautiful than anything we could ever plan for our days, months, years, or life.

God, we know life is so brief; help us remember that every single day and not get caught in the weeds of struggle.  Help us stay on the path you have designed for us to walk.  God, we desire to remain focused—not on the plan we think You are leading us to walk BUT HELP US TO REMAIN FOCUSED UPON YOU.  YES, FATHER, HELP US CLING TO YOU—DAY-BY-DAY & MOMENT-BY-MOMENT.

God, we know from looking at Scripture that our future may look to become one way but Your thoughts are not our thoughts.  YOU ARE GOD & we are not.  Help us remain faithful, patient, busy doing what you lead our hands to do, and praying as we go, clinging ever-so-tightly to YOU.

Thank You, God, for life.

Thank You for opportunities to serve You.

Thank You, LORD, for placing us where You see fit, &

Thank You, Father, for helping us keep our eyes looking forward and not back where we have been.

Thank You, Father, for moving us when we need to move & for keeping us planted when we need to remain planted where we can grow more like Jesus.

Thank You, for Jesus’ sacrificial death, for resurrecting Him to new life, for providing us a way to know You, God.

Thank You, God, for the promise of heaven, for the promise to share eternity in Your presence.

Thank You, God, for Your Amazing Grace.

Thank you, God.

In the name of Jesus, we pray,

Amen.