Today’s Reading : Genesis 45
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. – Genesis 45: 4-7
A cool, crisp pear.
Several years ago, while on the mission trip I had the pleasure of speaking to a priest. While we were speaking, he was giving me a story about something that happened in his life. When he was younger, he had to work a very strenuous job. At the end of the day of long work, his grandmother would give him a cool crisp pear. This was a reminder of grace and love to him.
Throughout his travels, he would always have a reminder of this love in this compassion, a cool crisp pear. On a particular journey through a combat zone and devastation, he was on a bus in the middle of the desert. He had no food. He had no money and he sat by a stranger. After the two visited. As the stranger was leaving, he opened up his briefcase and gave the priest a cool crisp pear. It was a reminder of love and compassion.
Think about a pear. A pear is something that is special and something that you cannot get all the time. You can get an apple anywhere, but a pear is special and it’s has to take time to be prepared.
Think of the life-cycle of a pear. You have to plant the seed. You have to wait for the seed to grow and mature. The tree starts to grow, it takes several years to produce fruit. Once they produce fruit, then it has to be harvested. Once it’s harvested, it has to be transported to the grocery store or to the market. Once it’s there at the store, you purchased it. You can enjoy it. Many times we just enjoy the fruit, but we do not remember the journey process that it took to get to you. The pear had been prepared for you in the past so that you can enjoy it today.
In today’s reading, Joseph is reunited with his brothers. The brothers of Joseph were not kind to him. They were envious of him. They were jealous of him. They wanted him to die. They actually kidnapped their brother and sold him into slavery. They had expected him to die and not have his future fulfilled. Joseph was sold into slavery. He was put into jail. He was almost killed. But God had seen the big picture. God saw the preparation in Joseph’s past to prepare him for the future.
When Joseph recognized his brothers, and understood their love and compassion for their father and youngest brother, he was overjoyed. He was excited to share his new statue in Egypt with his family. He was able to push past the hurt and the frustration that he had for them before. Joseph understood God’s purpose in his life. Joseph understood how his past had prepared him for this opportunity. Joseph understood how he could benefit his family in the midst of the hurt. Joseph saw how he could protect and provide for his family.
Many times in our past, we have a lot of hurts and pain. We might want to hurt others because we were hurt. We might want to take revenge on others who have taken advantage of us. We do not want to forgive. But because of God‘s love that works in us we can see how God has perfected us through the transitions and through the trials that we have gone through. God has actually used those situations to make us stronger and to make us more resilient. It is not easy to go through life. It is not easy to go through pain. It is not easy to see things happen for others and not for ourselves. But when we know God‘s purpose for us and we walk in that purpose and promise then we have peace.
As we go forward due this week, let us look at our past. This is not a easy thing to do. It can be difficult. But once we understand our past and see how God has prepared us for today in our past. He has not allowed us to go through these things for no purpose. Just as it took a while for the pear to mature and to be presented to us from a long period of time. God has something ready for us today that he has prepared for us from our past. We have to ask God to reveal this to us and allow us to accept it when it is presented to us.
Be Blessed
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