It would be a shame to waste pain.

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 missing the lessons God wanted them to learn.
What do you think the adversity in your family or life is accomplishing?


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