The Story - Chapter 3 - Genesis 45-46

If you like happy endings, today's chapters will be to your liking. God is pulling everything together and tying up loose ends. The past two months we have been reading from the book of Joshua. We were witness to the endless litanies describing the distribution of the inheritances of the Israelites. If we did not totally understand before, we can now see the origin of the 12 Tribes of Israel.

The lessons we can learn from these two chapters are stacking up as we read: compassion, forgiveness, love.

Genesis 45:4-5 (NIV)

“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!

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.”

When we can look back at the times in our lives when we cried from a heart that was breaking and then see God in action, it is a blessing. These blessings aren’t reserved for special people; you and I are privy to these too. Often when I am wondering just what God is doing I will go back into one of my journals and read through my notes from another time of pain. Often God uses these books to reveal just how present He was, just how near to me He stayed.

We talked about family reunions, this was a great one. The drama, tears, regrets and the fears all surfaced as this dysfunctional family was reunited.  God will use all of our sins, our pain, our bad judgments and wasteful ways, for His glory.  It is then we will recognize and acknowledge our need for God.  It is then we understand only God can do the things God does. Truly He is the One True God.

Read Genesis 45-46 here

Listen to Genesis 45-46 here