No Surprise

Interesting thoughts around Joseph.
                                              His dreams....

He got a little information about the future
that didn't fit with anyone's ideas of the present reality....

But no one knew....
             that the world would need someone
                     to prepare a whole region for a
Catastrophic event.

Scholars guess about 22-25 years between
Dreams
             and
                    Crisis

- Dreams that didn't fit
- Brothers doing unspeakable things
- A wicked, deceitful woman
- Misguided justice and Prison
- A forgetful cupbearer.....

then a day
When Joseph's brothers bowed before him
and he remembered.  Genesis 42:6-9

and he recognized
woven through
- circumstances
- wickedness
- evil intent
- misunderstanding and betrayal
and TIME..... years.....

God's Hand.
God's Guidance.
God's Plan
from the beginning.
Not one mistake
Nothing late
Just in time
Just right

Joseph's Personal rights and freedoms
sacrificed
in the service of His King
to preserve many.

No hint of
bitterness
or self pity.....

Just an honourable servant's
wonder
at God's amazing
ways.

Genesis 45:4 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.
5 And now do not be distressed or angry with
yourselves
because you sold me here,
for God sent me before you
to preserve life.
6 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.
7 And God sent me before you
to preserve for you
a remnant on earth,
and to keep alive for you
many survivors.
8 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.

Oh Lord,
You do have a plan
and this present Crisis
is no surprise

You might have even given some lad or lass
a dream or two in 1998....

and they might have been learning
the difficult lessons of selflessness

for such a time as this.

I wait on You
I listen to Your Voice
I anticipate Your revelation
of Light and Life
in the midst this dark time.

Yes Lord Jesus.
no surprise

to You.

PJ