19 January | EVERYONE
"You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Genesis 50: 20,21
Guilt kills—slowly and relentlessly. It suffocates and crucifies sinners in the wood of their own conscience. Joseph's brothers had lived in torment since the day he was sold. The years disappeared into the dust of time, but they were not able to quell the outrageous cry of their own conscience. Every difficult moment they experienced reminded them that their hands were stained with the blood of an innocent. They could not forget their past. Their evil deeds haunted them day and night.
Now, unbeknownst to them, they were in front of the brother they had sold. However, the tables had turned. Joseph was the governor of the most powerful nation at that time, while they were no more than sad pilgrims looking for a little food to survive. From a human perspective, it would be the time for revenge. There are people who wait for a situation like that all their lives.
But Joseph was God’s friend, and in the heart of a servant of the Most High, there is no room for bitterness or resentment, much less for hatred or revenge. So, he said to them, "You thought to do me harm, but God meant it for good."
One day, we also crucified Jesus and that shameful action torments us, but the Savior opens His arms in the form of a cross, looks at us with love, and says, "You thought to harm me, but my Father's plans were for me to suffer so that you might live."
Take Action
Look to Jesus to be like Him. Pray today that God will get rid of any grudges that exist in your heart toward someone who has offended you. That He may give you a forgiving spirit like Joseph's. Sing "Joseph’s Forgiveness" (if possible, with your family).