SCRIPTURE: Genesis 45
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
(Read my reflection from 2008)
“So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt. [Genesis 45:8]
They say hindsight is 20/20 vision.
Joseph can now say that everything was working according to God’s plan.
He is on the good side of God’s purpose, but it is much harder to see and affirm when we are on the tough side of God’s purpose.
Looking back on his life, remembering his dreams about being over his family, living now as the highest ruler in Egypt under Pharoah, Joseph can see things differently.
I suppose he could have been bitter, and many people would be bitter.
But Joseph now sees how everything worked out good in the end!
“Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?” Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above [John 19:10-11].
What strikes me about Jesus is that He sees God’s hand even before things work out.
He is about to endure the most horrific form of suffering possible – both humanly and spiritually speaking – crucifixion and abandonment by God.
He is being abused and mocked and treated as a common criminal; and the judge in His case is acting as if he is someone to be reckoned with.
If he only knew Who he was dealing with.
But Jesus knew, Jesus saw, Jesus understood – God had given Him into Pilate’s hands, and God had put Pilate in that position to judge.
Everything was working according to God’s plan, even the tough stuff.
And He saw it from the tough side of God’s purpose, before it all worked out.
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. [Matthew 28:18]
Jesus is now standing on the good side of God’s purpose: He has been restored, His suffering is over, and what He saw before by faith He now experiences as reality.
From Jesus we learn that not only hindsight is 20/20 vision, but faith in God is 20/20 vision too.
By faith we can affirm already now, on the tough side of God’s purpose, that He is in control, He is working everything out according to His plan.
By faith we can say that God has put us in this position of difficulty or blessing, for a reason.
For Joseph, trials led to the ultimate blessing and survival of his family; for Jesus His trials led to the ultimate blessing and survival of His family.
For you and for me, our trials are also a part of God’s plan for the ultimate blessing and survival of our families.
How do I know?
Because faith is 20/20 vision!
PRAYER:
Lord, I say this now, while things are good – faith is 20/20 vision. Yet I know it’s harder to say when life gets unbearable. I pray especially for those going through severe trials, that they would be able to see by faith what is difficult to see by experience!