The Simple Life

His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, "Behold, we are your servants." But Joseph said to them, "Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones." Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. Genesis 50:18-21 (ESV) Those who walk with God see the world differently than those who ignore Him. Those who love and obey God know sin, its devastation, and God's provisions for sinful man. Joseph continued to focus on God, which meant he focused on mercy, not punishment. He became one who extended mercy, and then grace to his brothers, because it was the right thing to do, not because he wanted to please his dad. Joseph's brothers did not understand him because they did not understand what it was to walk with God. We travel this life and choose to use...

When Israel saw Joseph's sons, he said, "Who are these?" Joseph said to his father, "They are my sons, whom God has given me here." And he said, "Bring them to me, please, that I may bless them." Genesis 48:8-9 (ESV) Jacob experienced real pain for many years due to the sinful actions of children. Yet, those actions or circumstances were not something God could and would not turn into the means for victory. Finally, after years of pain, sorrow, tears, and anxiety, Jacob sees Joseph and his grandchildren. We may never understand the relationship between our choices and God's sovereignty, but we can know that God's plan will prevail regardless of our choices. There are many examples of God's leaders in positions of wondering. Moses sat on the back side of the desert for forty years, Noah building a boat for over one hundred years, and the other ten spies shouted down Joshua and Caleb at the edge of the promised land. Those who walk with God e...

Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Your father and your brothers have come to you. The land of Egypt is before you. Settle your father and your brothers in the best of the land. Let them settle in the land of Goshen, and if you know any able men among them, put them in charge of my livestock." Genesis 47:5-6 (ESV) God's promises to His people will always stand true. He does not fulfill His promise because we deserve it but because He is merciful. Everything good about life focuses on God's faithfulness. Joseph's family did not deserve the best land in Egypt. However, some would say they were "lucky" in that all the strange circumstances and the attitude of Joseph put them in a place of blessing. However, if you know the truth, this is about God's faithfulness, mercy, love, and plan. There are moments when the circumstances of life seem to be robbing us of the joy or success in life that could be ours. However, those who know and follow God also know that ...

So Israel took his journey with all that he had and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, "Jacob, Jacob." And he said, "Here I am." Then he said, "I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation. I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again, and Joseph's hand shall close your eyes." Genesis 46:1-4 (ESV) Anyone who wants to be successful needs to be in sync with God's plans, be courageous, and press on because there is no way to fail. Failure happens to those who work apart from God. I am thankful that God did not make success dependent upon skill, status, resources, etc. Instead, he made it simple in that all who listen to Him, regardless of the circumstances of life, will be successful. That is why He said, in the Scriptures, the weak are strong, fools can...

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. For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. Genesis 45:4-8 (ESV) Joseph had a tender heart. He did not want to punish anyone; he wanted to reconcile. He was in a unique position to see how the circumstances of life were working miracles in his family. A tender heart does not desire to inflict pain on someone else. God has a tender heart in that it is not His desire th...

So the men took this present, and they took double the money with them, and Benjamin. They arose and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph. Genesis 43:15 (ESV)   I am unsure what Joseph attempted to do with his scheme. He did not want them to bathe in guilt since that would contradict his trust in God. Perhaps he wondered how they viewed Benjamin and his father. On the other hand, maybe he just wanted to get the whole family together, which seemed like a good plan. Perhaps his brothers had pushed this grievous sin out of their minds, and God was using this time to bring the memory to the forefront so they would deal with it. It seems that God works on a win/win basis. Through all the adversity Joseph went through, he learned total dependency on God. During this time, Joseph's family headed into their own adversity, and this time it would lead to reconciliation and provision. It would be a shame to waste any pain or misunderstanding that Joseph and his family went through by mi...

Now Joseph was governor over the land. He was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph's brothers came and bowed themselves before him with their faces to the ground. Genesis 42:6 (ESV) I wonder what was going through Joseph's mind. The childhood dream was now working itself into the reality of the moment. Perhaps his time in prison and this graphic display of a dream once dreamt solidified that God was working His plan. These are moments that God gives all those who wait upon Him. All who know Him and are faithful to Him will one day see all things worked out to perfection. Joseph's years of wondering were beginning to culminate into years of provision. A sweet moment indeed. Those who know God and obey Him will have no regrets. Those who do not know Him and ignore Him will have many.   https://www.podbean.com/relate365

This proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants. And Pharaoh said to his servants, "Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?" Genesis 41:37-38 (ESV) Nebuchadnezzar would ask this same question about Daniel and the boys who served him. Those who love God and act like they love God are unique or holy. Joseph did not control the circumstances of his life, but he did manage his response to the circumstances. Somewhere in his life's journey he learned who God was and focused on God's character. This focus would not allow the root of bitterness to develop.  Perhaps he spent the two years in prison because it took that long to rid himself of his anger and desire for revenge. We all get to a point in life where we understand that we do not control all of our circumstances, and either we trust the one who does, or we lose hope. Somehow, Joseph got to the point where he trusted the one in control, and this erased any semblance of revenge and anger and repla...

Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they quickly brought him out of the pit. And when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came in before Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it." Joseph answered Pharaoh, "It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer." Genesis 41:14-16 (ESV) Two years had passed since the chief cupbearer forgot Joseph—two years of prison life. Joseph must have thought his life was being wasted. Yet, God was at work. We do not always see how God works, but we know He is at work. Undoubtedly, God was refining Joseph to take on an incredible position of authority that would eventually preserve His people. I wonder what Joseph thought about during those two long years. He had every right to be angry and bitter at many people and even, from a human perspective, could question what God was t...

On the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, he made a feast for all his servants and lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants. He restored the chief cupbearer to his position, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand. But he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them. Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph but forgot him. Genesis 40:20-23 (ESV) Joseph had everything go wrong that could go wrong. His family rejected him, punished him for doing right, and now he is forgotten. Satan used every trick in the book to mess with Joseph's mental health. Joseph had places he could place the blame for his apparent miserable life. Yet he remained hopeful. God always works in our lives through the circumstances He gives us. I do not doubt that Joseph knew God had a plan and would work that plan even if Joseph did not understand the plan. The Scriptures make it clear that God knew us before we were born, craft...

The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph's charge because the LORD was with him. And whatever he did, the LORD made it succeed. Genesis 39:23 (ESV) Once again, we see evidence that Joseph knew God and lived as if he knew God. The fruit of knowing God and doing right will always be evident. It won't make sense to some, but it will be admirable to others. Some will be threatened, while others will be comforted. We cannot choose to know and do right because of someone's response, but because it is always right to do right. The fruit in our lives, or the evident actions, are byproducts of the hours of influence in our lives. Joseph's mind must have been focused on God's plan, provision, timing, and the like. He did not try to manufacture a response; it came automatically because of his thoughts. Those who lack the fruit of the Spirit in their lives have or are absorbing wrong information. The solution may be much simpler than we would li...

God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Paddan-aram, and blessed him. And God said to him, "Your name is Jacob; no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name." So he called his name Israel. And God said to him, "I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come from your own body. Genesis 35:9-11 (ESV) We serve the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob because when God makes a promise, He keeps it. God's ability to keep His promises is not tied to my obedience or ability, but to His faithfulness to His purposes. He needs no person to accomplish His plan, yet He wants us included. Those who are part of God's work know of their dependency upon Him and live knowing that victory is certain. Knowing that God loves you, wants you, and has a plan for your life and the life of your ancestors is the best cure for the mental illnesses of life. Perhaps today, we should remind...

God said to Jacob, "Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there. Make an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau." So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, "Put away the foreign gods that are among you and purify yourselves and change your garments. Then let us arise and go up to Bethel, so that I may make there an altar to the God who answers me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone." So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods that they had, and the rings that were in their ears. Jacob hid them under the terebinth tree that was near Shechem. And as they journeyed, a terror from God fell upon the cities that were around them, so that they did not pursue the sons of Jacob. Genesis 35:1-5 (ESV) Details often block us from obedience to God. I am sure there were many details in moving Jacob's household to Bethel. It is always easier to stay where we are and deal with what we know ra...

And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold." And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." Luke 19:8-10 (ESV) Guilt can be an anchor tied to our life's boat, destroying any hope of a smooth sailing life. Jacob, the deceiver, gave us many examples of what it is like to live in guilt. Yet, he worried or fretted for nothing because his brother was not seeking vengeance. Zacchaeus gave us a great example of what to do with the guilt that arises in our souls. We first find God, listen to what He says, and respond to Him. Then, as we accept His forgiveness, we find others we have harmed and do what we can to make things right. When we do something wrong, we should feel bad about the action or attitude, driving us to straighten out the problem....

But Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. And when Esau lifted up his eyes and saw the women and children, he said, "Who are these with you?" Jacob said, "The children whom God has graciously given your servant." Then the servants drew near, they and their children, and bowed down. Leah likewise and her children drew near and bowed down. And last Joseph and Rachel drew near, and they bowed down. Esau said, "What do you mean by all this company that I met?" Jacob answered, "To find favor in the sight of my lord." But Esau said, "I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself." Genesis 33:4-9 (ESV) Living a guilt-ridden life is confusing for all involved. Guilt drives us to anxiety, depression, anger, and other adverse side effects. Guilt also has the potential to help us maintain healthy relationships. When we experience guilt, we should not try to rid ourselves of feelings;...

And Jacob lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, Esau was coming, and four hundred men with him. So he divided the children among Leah and Rachel and the two female servants. And he put the servants with their children in front, then Leah with her children, and Rachel and Joseph last of all. He himself went on before them, bowing himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. But Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. Genesis 33:1-4 (ESV) God did not create us to live in the context of guilt. On the contrary, His mercy and grace ensure that His children are free from the penalty, power, and, one day, the presence of sin. Yet, in this life, many live guilt-ridden lives that often yield to compromised standards that give temporary relief. God knows we would struggle with guilt and has given us ways to live in freedom and hope. Guilt comes from doing something wrong or disappointing someone's expectations. T...