As I was looking through verses that contained the word “reassure,” I came across this:
Don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children. And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.” (Genesis 50: 21)
The chapter this was taken from was when Joseph’s father, Jacob, died. At the time, Joseph was in charge of Pharaoh’s household. He asked for permission to go bury his father, for he just got word that he had died. With Pharaoh’s permission, Joseph went with a large company with him.
After they buried his father, he returned to Egypt. When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him? So they sent word to Joseph saying, “Your father left these instructions before he died: “This is what you are to say to Joseph:
I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly!
Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of our Father. When the message came to him, Joseph wept.” (Genesis 50: 15-17)
The beauty of this story is that Joseph had been separated from his brothers. Well, actually they left him in a pit to die, then sold him into slavery, abandoned him, and pretended he was dead.
So now Joseph’s brothers throwing themselves at his feet saying, “We are your slaves.” (Genesis 50: 18)
In His spiritual maturity, and his forgiving heart, Joseph reassures them, reestablishing his relationship with them and accepts their heartfelt repentance.
In the process, Joseph as a transformed servant of God, says this remarkable statement,
You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. I will provide for you and your children.” (Genesis 50: 20)
During the famine, Joseph provided for not only his brothers, but for all the Israelites, Egyptians, and all the nations that came to Egypt to buy food in that time of great famine that threatened the known world.
So what can we learn from this story? There are some key points that I see:
KINGDOM KEY POINTS & PRINCIPLES:
- Kingdom Key #1 Remember what the Father has requested of His children–to forgive those who have wronged us.
- Kingdom Key #2 Even when there was once personal animosity toward a brother, God brought restoration to save many lives.
- Kingdom Key #3 God provides to His children even through unlikely circumstances and unlikely sinful people.
- Kingdom Key #4 The God who established families, restores broken ones, and reassures us of the importance of family.
- Kingdom Key #5 Forgiveness is the key to establishing an “open heaven” over our lives.
Yes, sometimes we just need to be reassured that God is our Provider and He sees the big picture. He uses all things and all conditions to bless us as we yield to Him and His ways.
Featured Image by 4144132 from Pixabay