Getting What We Least Expect

Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite (repay) us all the evil which we did unto him….Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them. Genesis 50:15 & 21

Joseph’s brothers feared they would get what they deserved. They suspected the only reason Joseph had been kind to them so far was because of their father’s presence. Now with Jacob dead their safety net has been removed and they tried to use his name and supposed dieing words to replace the safety net. There is no greater safety net than grace. It does not hinge on the behavior or deserving of the recipients. It rests in the heart of the giver.

Joseph wept when his brothers spoke to him. His tears were for his brothers who still walked in fear of him. They had not embraced the love he lavished on them. They really did not know his heart for them. If I spend my time living under wrong concepts of God, I miss the joy of relationship with Him. Better to list His extravagant gifts than live under self condemnation and guilt.

Joseph comforted them and spoke kindly unto them. What a picture of my Abba Father. May I learn to soak up His tenderness. Undeserved? Yes! But lavishly given just the same.

Father, may I feel safe, secure, and loved by You today. Let me grasp Your character! Amen!