Have you ever been reunited with someone after a long time apart?  It’s is always an emotional reunion.  I can only imagine what it must have been like for Jacob and Joseph.  Particularly Jacob thinking his son was dead all these years.  Let’s look at the account together today. 

 Now Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen. When they arrived in the region of Goshen, 29 Joseph had his chariot made ready and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel. As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his father and wept for a long time. 30 Israel said to Joseph, “Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive.” 31 Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and speak to Pharaoh and will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household, who were living in the land of Canaan, have come to me. 32 The men are shepherds; they tend livestock, and they have brought along their flocks and herds and everything they own.’ 33 When Pharaoh calls you in and asks, ‘What is your occupation?’ 34 you should answer, ‘Your servants have tended livestock from our boyhood on, just as our fathers did.’ Then you will be allowed to settle in the region of Goshen, for all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians.”

God used Joseph’s troubles for good and ultimately to save both Israel and Egypt.  This reunion however must have still been something.  I’m sure they both wept, laughed, and mourned for the time they missed in each other’s lives.  Joseph certainly had lots of stories to catch his father up on.  I often wonder if Joseph ever had bad feelings creep back in toward his brothers after they were reconciled.  He forgave them and understood that God used their evil for good.  I still can’t help but wonder if he struggled with that.  Even after we have forgiven someone resentment can happen.  The beautiful thing is that Jesus helps us to overcome that.  When we feel resentment building in our lives we need to remind ourselves of the amazing grace poured out for us.  Jesus’ love and grace in our lives helps us to extend it to others.  Today rest in the amazing grace of Jesus and look to share it with others as well.

In His Grip,
Pastor Dave

Today we celebrate Good Friday when Jesus gave His life to pay the penalty for our sins.  Because of this great act our sins can be forgiven and we can be reconciled with God.  It’s appropriate that today we pick up the story of Joseph with him offering forgiveness to his brothers for their great sins against him.  Let’s look at the passage together today.

Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, “Have everyone leave my presence!” So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. 2 And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household heard about it. 3 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still living?” But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence. 4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.” When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! 5 And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. 6 For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping. 7 But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. 8 “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt. 9 Now hurry back to my father and say to him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; don’t delay. 10 You shall live in the region of Goshen and be near me—you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have. 11 I will provide for you there, because five years of famine are still to come. Otherwise you and your household and all who belong to you will become destitute.’12 “You can see for yourselves, and so can my brother Benjamin, that it is really I who am speaking to you. 13 Tell my father about all the honor accorded me in Egypt and about everything you have seen. And bring my father down here quickly.”14 Then he threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin embraced him, weeping. 15 And he kissed all his brothers and wept over them. Afterward his brothers talked with him.

Joseph is able to offer forgiveness to his brothers because he knows that God had a bigger and better plan all along.  He can see the hand of God in each and every step of this journey.  While Joseph’s life has had many ups and downs God’s plan has been leading to this moment all along.  He ultimately will give the best land in all of Egypt to Joseph’s family.  Israel will prosper greatly under these conditions and become a great nation.  There will certainly be more ups and downs in this journey (Moses is next) but God remains faithful.  God’s faithfulness is the very key to the forgiveness Joseph offers his brothers.  God freely forgives us and calls us to forgive others in return.  Joseph knows that whatever wrongs happen to us God is faithful and will bring us through.  Today embrace the forgiveness of God it truly is a gift of grace.

In His Grip,
Pastor Dave

Life has a way of often coming full circle.  We get reconnected with long lost friends.  We go back to towns we grew up in.  I am about to do a wedding for the granddaughter of a woman who I got to marry to her high school sweetheart 50 years after they first met.  Joseph has this experience as he is reunited to his brothers after much time has gone on.  I encourage you to read Genesis 42 to get the whole story but we are going to pick it up today in Genesis 43 as Joseph’s brothers prepare to go back to Egypt a second time and bring Benjamin with them this time.

Now the famine was still severe in the land. 2 So when they had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go back and buy us a little more food.” 3 But Judah said to him, “The man warned us solemnly, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’ 4 If you will send our brother along with us, we will go down and buy food for you. 5 But if you will not send him, we will not go down, because the man said to us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’” 6 Israel asked, “Why did you bring this trouble on me by telling the man you had another brother?” 7 They replied, “The man questioned us closely about ourselves and our family. ‘Is your father still living?’ he asked us. ‘Do you have another brother?’ We simply answered his questions. How were we to know he would say, ‘Bring your brother down here’?”8 Then Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the boy along with me and we will go at once, so that we and you and our children may live and not die. 9 I myself will guarantee his safety; you can hold me personally responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him here before you, I will bear the blame before you all my life. 10 As it is, if we had not delayed, we could have gone and returned twice.” 11 Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your bags and take them down to the man as a gift—a little balm and a little honey, some spices and myrrh, some pistachio nuts and almonds. 12 Take double the amount of silver with you, for you must return the silver that was put back into the mouths of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake. 13 Take your brother also and go back to the man at once. 14 And may God Almighty grant you mercy before the man so that he will let your other brother and Benjamin come back with you. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.”

Jacob (Israel) does not want Benjamin to go.  The brothers are unwilling to go without him as that was Joseph’s demand.  They still have no idea he is their brother.  Simeon is waiting in jail all the while.  I don’t know if Joseph has a clear plan in his mind as to what he wants to do yet.  He is overjoyed to see his brothers but there has to be some lingering hurt.  Perhaps that is why he is making them jump through all of these hoops before revealing himself and forgiving them.  Maybe there is someone in your life who you have a lingering hurt from.  There is no better time then today to offer them forgiveness.  Today (Thursday of Holy Week) we celebrate when Jesus instituted the last supper.  He laid down his life to offer to us the ultimate forgiveness.  His example, as well as the example of Joseph, should encourage us to forgive others as well.

In His Grip,
Pastor Dave

Have you ever gotten through a difficult season and just been at peace for awhile?  It’s a great feeling.  You make it through and feel as though you are on the other side.  We pick up the story of Joseph in such a place.  He is experiencing God’s blessing through children and through successfully ruling all of Egypt.  Let’s look at the account together today.

 Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from Pharaoh’s presence and traveled throughout Egypt. 47 During the seven years of abundance the land produced plentifully. 48 Joseph collected all the food produced in those seven years of abundance in Egypt and stored it in the cities. In each city he put the food grown in the fields surrounding it. 49 Joseph stored up huge quantities of grain, like the sand of the sea; it was so much that he stopped keeping records because it was beyond measure. 50 Before the years of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. 51 Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh and said, “It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.” 52 The second son he named Ephraim and said, “It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.”53 The seven years of abundance in Egypt came to an end, 54 and the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all the other lands, but in the whole land of Egypt there was food. 55 When all Egypt began to feel the famine, the people cried to Pharaoh for food. Then Pharaoh told all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph and do what he tells you.” 56 When the famine had spread over the whole country, Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe throughout Egypt. 57 And all the world came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe everywhere.

Joseph is not only ruling Egypt but he is doing it really well.  Egypt is the only nation that has food so they are getting rich by selling grain to all the other nations around them.  God is using Joseph to help save the world from starving.  Often God brings us through a hard time so that He can use us for something special.  I pray that God will use the hard times in our lives to do the same.  Today take some time to reflect on some hard times in your life and look to see just how God has used those for good. 

In His Grip,
Pastor Dave

Today’s passage of scripture is a bit longer but you need most of it for the story.  In fact you might want to just read Genesis 41 from your Bible.  This is the point in the story where Joseph is remembered by the cupbearer and interprets Pharaoh’s dream and ultimately is put in charge of all of Egypt.  Those of you that know the rest of the story know that this is just another step in His plan to save Joseph’s family, the people of Israel.  Let’s look at the story together today.

8 In the morning his mind was troubled, so he sent for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him. 9 Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I am reminded of my shortcomings. 10 Pharaoh was once angry with his servants, and he imprisoned me and the chief baker in the house of the captain of the guard. 11 Each of us had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own. 12 Now a young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he interpreted them for us, giving each man the interpretation of his dream. 13 And things turned out exactly as he interpreted them to us: I was restored to my position, and the other man was impaled.” 14 So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the dungeon. When he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came before Pharaoh. 15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” 16 “I cannot do it,” Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.”… 25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads of grain are seven years; it is one and the same dream. 27 The seven lean, ugly cows that came up afterward are seven years, and so are the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind: They are seven years of famine. 28 “It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. 29 Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt, 30 but seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land. 31 The abundance in the land will not be remembered, because the famine that follows it will be so severe. 32 The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter has been firmly decided by God, and God will do it soon. 33 “And now let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and put him in charge of the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. 35 They should collect all the food of these good years that are coming and store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh, to be kept in the cities for food. 36 This food should be held in reserve for the country, to be used during the seven years of famine that will come upon Egypt, so that the country may not be ruined by the famine.” 37 The plan seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his officials. 38 So Pharaoh asked them, “Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God?” 39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. 40 You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you.”

Joseph lets Pharaoh know that he has no power to interpret a dream but that God does. Joseph ends up in charge of all of Egypt and in a position to help the people of Israel and Egypt.  This was God’s plan from the beginning as He used each and every one of these bad situations for an ultimate good.  God works that way in our lives as well.  Often he uses uncomfortable or tough circumstances to usher things in our lives for our good.  I’m sure all of us can look back on tough circumstances and see how God has used those in our life.  Perhaps you are in a tough situation now, or maybe you haven’t gotten to the light at the end of the tunnel.  Be encouraged by the story of Joseph and know that even when we don’t know it, God is at work!

In His Grip,
Pastor Dave

Have you ever been expecting something good and then experienced disappointment.  By now Joseph is used to disappointment.  He interprets some dreams with the hopes of being remembered and freed from jail.  Let’s look at the account together today.

After they had been in custody for some time, 5 each of the two men—the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were being held in prison—had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own. 6 When Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw that they were dejected. 7 So he asked Pharaoh’s officials who were in custody with him in his master’s house, “Why do you look so sad today?” 8 “We both had dreams,” they answered, “but there is no one to interpret them.” Then Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.” 9 So the chief cupbearer told Joseph his dream. He said to him, “In my dream I saw a vine in front of me, 10 and on the vine were three branches. As soon as it budded, it blossomed, and its clusters ripened into grapes. 11 Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes, squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup and put the cup in his hand.” 12 “This is what it means,” Joseph said to him. “The three branches are three days. 13 Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your position, and you will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just as you used to do when you were his cupbearer. 14 But when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison. 15 I was forcibly carried off from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing to deserve being put in a dungeon.” 16 When the chief baker saw that Joseph had given a favorable interpretation, he said to Joseph, “I too had a dream: On my head were three baskets of bread. 17 In the top basket were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.” 18 “This is what it means,” Joseph said. “The three baskets are three days. 19 Within three days Pharaoh will lift off your head and impale your body on a pole. And the birds will eat away your flesh.” 20 Now the third day was Pharaoh’s birthday, and he gave a feast for all his officials. He lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker in the presence of his officials: 21 He restored the chief cupbearer to his position, so that he once again put the cup into Pharaoh’s hand— 22 but he impaled the chief baker, just as Joseph had said to them in his interpretation. 23 The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.

Joseph experiences disappointment yet again as he is forgotten about by the cupbearer.  How do you handle disappointments in life?  Do you have a tendency to push on even harder, or do disappointments derail you?  For Joseph, he simply went right back to what he does.  He remains faithful no matter what his circumstances are.  That is really what faithfulness is.  It’s following God through good times and bad.  Joseph exemplifies this throughout the ups and downs of his life.  I pray that we all can follow this example of Joseph and hold fast to God no matter what life throws at us.

In His Grip,
Pastor Dave

In the continuing ups and downs of the story of Joseph, he now finds himself in prison.  This was probably an extremely low point for him.  Yet Joseph experienced God’s presence in prison and shined once again.  Let’s look at the brief account together today.

But while Joseph was there in the prison, 21 the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. 22 So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. 23 The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.

Have you ever thought about the fact that wherever you are at in life God has a reason for you top be there.  Maybe you are not in the particular place or circumstance that you want to be right now.  God has work for you whatever your situation.  Joseph understood this well and even in the worst of circumstances he excelled.  Whether as a slave, a prisoner, or eventually the leader of all of Egypt Joseph consistently rises to the top and accomplishes the work God has for him.  God wants the same for all of us.  Whether we are in good circumstances or in a down time like Joseph often faced we are called to bloom where we are planted.  God has a person for you to reach or a goal for you to accomplish or a ministry for you to launch right where you are.  Pray and seek how He might use you right where you are in life today!

In His Grip,
Pastor Dave

We left off yesterday with Joseph in charge of all of Potipher’s household.  Things were going well.  Let’s pick up the story today with yet another plot twist. 

Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, 7 and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!” 8 But he refused. “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. 9 No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” 10 And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her. 11 One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. 12 She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house. 13 When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house, 14 she called her household servants. “Look,” she said to them, “this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us! He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed. 15 When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.” 16 She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home. 17 Then she told him this story: “That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me. 18 But as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.” 19 When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, “This is how your slave treated me,” he burned with anger. 20 Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined.

Joseph, yet again, faces a hard time that he didn’t deserve.  If there is one quality that Joseph shows throughout his life it is resiliency.  No matter what happens, he maintains faith and keeps pushing on.  This is a quality that is often found lacking today.  I talk to people all the time who are ready to blame God or want to give up when life gets difficult.  Joseph is a great example for us of pushing through to see the sunshine and rainbow on the other side of the rain.  Joseph will continue to experience more rain but he never loses faith and never stops pressing on.  He knows and trusts that God has a plan for his life.  This is what keeps him strong when his circumstances are poor time and again.  I pray that we would all have the faith and resiliency of Joseph.

In His Grip,
Pastor Dave

Joseph is sold by his brothers into slavery and sold again to Potipher the Captain of the Egyptian guard.  In the midst of challenging circumstances, Joseph maintains his faith and God blesses him.  Joseph ends up with a pretty good job for a slave and, I’m sure, is well taken care of in his new found role.  Let’s look at the account together today. 

Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there. 2 The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. 3 When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, 4 Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. 5 From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. 6 So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.

It would have been easy for Joseph to focus on what was next and how God might eventually free him.  Each step of Joseph’s journey, regardless of where he is at, Joseph is faithful.  This is a great lesson for all of us in our current circumstances whatever they may be.  God has Joseph in this predicament for a reason.  Joseph has no idea what it is but God does.  Joseph is faithful to God and works hard at whatever he is doing.  Spoiler Alert:  Joseph’s story gets worse before it gets better.  Wherever God has placed you remain faithful to Him and work hard at whatever He calls you to.  You never know how He may end up using you, or your situation for something important like He does with Joseph.

In His Grip,
Pastor Dave

We move on today to the story of Joseph.  Joseph’s story is a great one filled with lots of interesting twists and turns.  It starts out with Joseph, who is his Father’s favorite, showing a lack of judgement and wisdom in confronting his brothers.  Let’s look at the account found in Genesis 37.

Joseph, a young man of seventeen, was tending the flocks with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives, and he brought their father a bad report about them. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate robe for him. 4 When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him. 5 Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. 6 He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: 7 We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.” 8 His brothers said to him, “Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said. 9 Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. “Listen,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10 When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, “What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?” 11 His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.

First, Joseph tattles on his brothers instead of simply talking to them.  Mind you at this point they are grown men.  Then Joseph proceeds to tell his brothers and Father about two dreams he has where everyone bows down to him.  Between this and him already being his Father’s favorite the brothers dislike Joseph.  Joseph ends up going to check on his brothers again and they decide to kill him.  Ultimately Reuben convinced them to throw him in a cistern.  He intends to go back and bring him home to his Father in safety.  Judah then gets the idea to sell him to a traveling group of Ishmaelite’s and tear up his famous robe and tell their Father he must have been killed by animals.  The beauty in this story is of course how God ends up using it.  God does that in all of our lives.  He takes Joseph’s lack of wisdom and ultimately uses it not just in Joseph’s life but ultimately to save an entire family or the nation of Israel.  There are bumps along the way but it turns out as a beautiful thing.  Perhaps there are some bumps in your life right now.  Pray, watch, and see how God uses those bumps to create something beautiful in your life as well.

In His Grip,
Pastor Dave