Family Reunions

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If you like happy endings, today's reading will be to your liking.

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 those times in our life when we cried out in desparation from a heart that was breaking, only to see God in action. What a blessing! These blessings aren’t reserved for special people; you and I are privy to these too. Joseph must have cried out many times during the early years of his captivity, only to realize his God had a plan all along.

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 season of life which was filled with pain. Often God uses my journals to reveal just how present He was; just how near to me He stayed. It is God's way of reminding me that He never moves away from us.

As family reunions go, this was a great one. It contained all the drama, tears, and regrets you would expect when family who has been separated for years - no matter the reason - are 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.

God sent me on ahead to pave the way and make sure there was a remnant in the land, to save your lives in an amazing act of deliverance. So you see, it wasn’t you who sent me here but God. Genesis 45:7-8a (NIV)

Genesis 45:4-8

1 Corinthians 2:6-16

"Getting to know you, getting to know all about you.

Getting to like you, getting to hope you like me ..."  

These are words to a song I used to sing as a child.  It was from a favorite movie of mine, The King and I.  I think I loved this movie because it was a precious love story, one that was doomed from the beginning, but fans of the story would always hold out hope for a different ending.  A 'happy ever after' ending.

However, as it is written:

   “What no eye has seen,
   what no ear has heard,
and what no human mind has conceived”—
   the things God has prepared for those who love him— (1 Corinthians 2:9)

Often we would like to change the ending to a movie or favorite story, make it friendlier or provide a happy ending. As Christians, we know the end of the story, we know can look to the Bible to hear Good News. The Holy Spirit teaches us about God and Jesus. He instructs us as to how to behave; he tweaks our conscience when we need to rethink our actions. The Holy Spirit doesn't have to give a new ending to the story, it is already perfect and just what each of us needs to hear, but he does open our ears.

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Read the text for May 3rd at Biblegateway.