Sacrifice

"This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins."  I John 4:10

The word that comes to my mind on Memorial Day is sacrifice. One definition for the word "sacrifice" in Webster's Dictionary is: the surrender or destruction of something valued for the sake of something else."  

    

Mothers sacrifice time, energy, and good nights of unbroken sleep for the sake of their children.  Daddies sacrifice their time and energy and things they would like to do for themselves in order to provide financially for their families or toss a football or baseball with their kids.  Soldiers, sailors, marines, and members of the Air Force sacrifice time at home with their families and put themselves in danger.  They may be wounded or killed for our freedom.  

Of course, Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice.  Imagine leaving the glory and splendor of heaven where He was omniscient, all powerful, sovereign, worshiped by angels, and adored by all in the heavenly realm, and coming to this old earth as a helpless baby.  Imagine rubbing elbows with sinful people all around.  Imagine having no home, walking dusty roads, and being tired, hungry, and thirsty for the sake of others.  Imagine being stripped of clothes, being whipped, mocked, and crowned with thorns.  And imagine being nailed to a cross and being left there until death eased His intense pain and humiliation.  Imagine choosing to do this for all of us.  That's what love does.  It sacrifices.

Father, thank You for all the people who have sacrificed for us.  Thank You for Your sacrifice in giving Your Son.  Thank You, Lord Jesus, for coming to earth and dying for us.  May we be willing to sacrifice with love for others.  Amen.

Mercy, Forgiveness, and Grace

"I am Joseph." from Genesis 45:3

The revelation of Joseph's identity to his brothers is one of the most exciting and dramatic stories in all of literature.  

When it was about time for Joseph's brothers to return to buy more grain, I can imagine Joseph looking for them every day and wondering if this would be the day they would return.  Jacob hesitated about sending his sons back to Egypt for as long as he could because they had to take Benjamin with them if they were going to get any more grain.  Jacob was very much afraid that something would happen to Benjamin as it had to Joseph.  But, he finally gave permission for them to go, and the brothers traveled back to Egypt and faced Joseph again.  Joseph released Simeon from prison and sent him to meet his brothers for lunch at Joseph's house.  The brothers were seated in order of their ages, from oldest to youngest.  They were astonished at this.

The brothers received their grain and started on their journey home.  Shortly after they left, Joseph sent his steward to intercept them and accuse them of stealing a special cup of Joseph's.  The steward said that whoever had the cup would become a slave in Egypt, but the rest were free to go home.  The cup was found in Benjamin's sack, where the steward had put it earlier.  All the brothers returned and stood before Joseph once again.  Joseph reiterated what the steward had told them, that the one who had the cup in his sack--Benjamin--would remain in Egypt as a slave, but the others could go free.  Then Judah spoke up and begged Joseph to allow him to take Benjamin's place as a slave and allow Benjamin to return to their father with the other brothers.  Joseph could see by Judah's willingness to sacrifice for Benjamin that the brothers had changed.

Joseph was so touched that he went aside and wept.  Then he sent all of his servants out of the room.  When they left, he announced to his brothers,  "I am Joseph."  

The brothers who had ignored Joseph's pleas for mercy and sold him into Egypt were terrified, and well they might have been.  Joseph had a great opportunity to get even with his brothers, to have revenge.  Instead, he responded with mercy, forgiveness, and grace.  He told his brothers to go home and bring their families to Egypt, where he would care for them during the famine.

How do you think you would have responded if you had been Joseph?  Is there anyone in your life who needs to receive the mercy, grace, and forgiveness that God has given you?

Father, thank You for the way You have treated us with love.  May we do likewise to others.  Amen.

Unconfessed Sin

"Joseph stored up huge quantities of grain, like the sand of the sea; it was so much that he stopped keeping records because it was beyond measure."  Genesis 41:49

     God had told Pharaoh in two dreams that there would be seven years of plenty and then seven years of famine.  Pharaoh made Joseph second in command in the land of Egypt and put him in charge of storing up grain in the years of abundance.  A huge amount of grain was put away that first seven year period.

     The famine which followed was widespread and included the land of Canaan. When Jacob heard that there was grain for sale in Egypt, he sent his ten oldest sons to buy food.  In order to purchase grain, the brothers had to appear before Joseph.  Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. That's not too surprising.  He had gone into Egypt as a seventeen year old lad, and now he was approximately thirty-seven years old.  He was dressed as an Egyptian and spoke the language of Egypt.  And the last thing the brothers expected to see was Joseph, especially in the position of a ruler.

     Joseph tested his brothers to see if they had changed since they sold him.  He spoke harshly to them and accused them of being spies.  He put them in prison for three days.  He kept Simeon in jail but allowed the others to return home.  Keeping Simeon would almost guarantee the brothers' return to Egypt. He told the brothers not to come back without bringing their youngest brother. How the other brothers would treat Benjamin was a crucial test as to whether their hearts had changed.  The brothers obviously felt guilty over what they had done to Joseph because they said to each other,  "Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that's why this distress has come upon us." Genesis 42:21b.  One wrong act can cause guilt which lasts many years, or cause even a lifetime of regret, stealing our joy and peace.  How precious is God's forgiveness when we confess and repent, and He forgives our sin and wipes the slate clean.  Actually, Joseph's treatment of his brothers eventually helped his brothers confess and repent.

    The final test was to secretly return the brothers' money in their sacks of grain before they headed home.  Then Joseph began to wait for their return to Egypt.

Father, You test us many times to show what is in our hearts.  May we pass each test.  And when we sin, as we all do, may we confess, repent, receive Your forgiveness, and have our joy restored.  Amen.   

How To Be An Instant Success In Only Thirteen Years Of Adversity

"So Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.'"  Genesis 41:41

Two years after Joseph had interpreted dreams for the king's cupbearer and baker, Pharaoh had two dreams which troubled him.  In the morning he sent for the magicians and wise men of Egypt and told them his dreams, but no one could tell him their meaning.

Have you ever had a creepy, crawly feeling that you have done something wrong or failed to do something you should have done?  The cupbearer realized he had ignored Joseph's plea for help and forgotten about him altogether.  But when he heard about Pharaoh's dreams, he said,  "I am reminded of my shortcomings."  Genesis 41:9b.  What do you and I do when we are reminded of our shortcomings?  The cupbearer confessed his negligence and tried to make up for what he had not done.  He told Pharaoh about Joseph and how he had interpreted his and the baker's dreams while they were in prison.

Pharaoh sent for Joseph.  When the next step of God's plan for Joseph's life began to unfold, Pharaoh's servants knew just where to look for Joseph.  God had made it easy for Joseph to be found.

    

Pharaoh told Joseph that he had heard Joseph could interpret dreams.  Joseph gave God all the credit, saying,  "I cannot do it...but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.", from Genesis 41:16.  Apart from God we can do nothing.

In Pharaoh's first dream he saw seven fat cows and then seven skinny, scrawny cows who ate up the fat cows.  Then he saw seven full, good heads of grain and then seven thin, withered heads of grain, which ate up the good, full heads of grain.  Joseph said the two dreams had the same meaning.  The fat cows and the full heads of grain were seven years of plenty, with good crops and bountiful harvests.  The seven thin cows and the seven thin, withered heads of grain were seven years of famine which would follow the years of abundance.  Then Joseph advised Pharaoh to find a wise man to be in charge of storing up grain during the years of plenty so there would be food during the years of famine.

Pharaoh could have resented being advised by this Hebrew lad and ignored what he said, but he was wise enough and open enough to listen.  More than that, he realized that God was with Joseph and was directing him, so they wouldn't be able to find anyone wiser.  Then Pharaoh promoted Joseph to the second most powerful person in Egypt.  Suddenly, the reasons for all the unjust treatment Joseph had endured made sense.  God was preparing Joseph for this great responsibility.  And now God was rewarding His servant for his constant faith and obedience.

What do you need to trust God for?  Ask God to help you trust Him through any challenges or difficulties that arise in your life.  

Father, may I be faithful and obedient to You whatever my circumstances.  Amen.

Responding to Injustice

"The Lord was with Joseph...." Genesis 39:2a

In Joseph's life we see one experience of injustice after another. His jealous brothers sold him to some people in a passing caravan, and they carried him to Egypt. There he was sold as a slave to a man named Potiphar.

Joseph was young, handsome, and well built. Day after day Potiphar's wife made advances to Joseph, but Joseph refused to accept them. Charles Swindoll wrote, "If you are living in the imaginary bubble that somehow temptation, once resisted, will vanish, burst it at this very moment." The continual attention of Potiphar's wife must have been a great temptation to a healthy young man. He was a stranger and a slave in a foreign land, with no family or friends to know what he was doing or show him disapproval. Yet Joseph resisted these advances, realizing that to yield would be a sin against Potiphar, who had entrusted everything he had into Joseph's care, and ultimately a sin against God.

Joseph tried to avoid Mrs. Potiphar as much as possible. But one day, when the two happened to be in the house alone together, Mrs. Potiphar grabbed Joseph's robe to pull him close to her. Joseph did exactly what the Bible tells us to do when we are tempted. He fled, leaving his robe behind. When Potipher came home that night, Mrs. Potipher lied about Joseph, and Potipher had Joseph thrown into prison.

While Joseph was in prison, he interpreted dreams for Pharoah's chief cupbearer and chief baker, who were cast into the dungeon with him. Joseph asked the cupbearer to petition Pharoah for his release when he was freed. The cupbearer returned to his position in the palace three days later, but he forgot all about Joseph. Proverbs 13:12a says, "Hope deferred makes the heart sick...." Can't you imagine Joseph's excitement and anticipation that he would soon be released from prison through the cupbearer's intervention on his behalf? Day after day he would have waited hopefully, while the days turned into weeks and the weeks turned into months. The months turned into two years, and Joseph would have eventually realized that he had been forgotten.

Have you ever done everything right, and seen it turn out all wrong? How do people generally react when they are treated unfairly? With anger, self-pity, bitterness, disillusionment, and a desire for revenge. But Joseph maintained his integrity, a forgiving heart, and his steadfast faith in God. He made the best of his circumstances. And he never cried out that God was absent or had turned His back. And where was God while all this was happening? We read four times in this story that the Lord was with Joseph. God had an amazing plan for Joseph's life, and he was preparing Joseph to fulfill that plan. God gave Joseph experience in the area of administration when he supervised Potiphar's household and then was put in charge of the prison. He was learning and honing the skills he would need later as Prime Minister of Egypt. It was because of Joseph's attitudes and his unwavering faith in God that God would entrust Joseph with such great power.

Father, may we maintain our faith in You and attitudes that will make us useable to You through all the circumstances and experiences of our lives. Amen.