Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come closer to me.” And they came closer. And he said, “I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. Genesis 45: 4, 5 (NASB)
I dreaded the big dogs. After school I made a mad dash back to my dorm room, but they often followed. So, I hid within the hedges and held my breath while they circled and sniffed and then tired of the chase. Safe in my canopy of green, I played and dreamed with my twig friends, tee pees, and leaf-strung boats. I longed for home. First grade is hard for most students, let alone those who are sent to boarding school.
Joseph was also a dreamer. His father’s favoritism and the multi-colored coat set him apart. His older brothers were jealous and they plotted against him; he’s stripped and thrown into a pit. Then he’s sold into slavery. As if that isn’t enough, he’s later accused of rape and thrown in a dark prison cell. But God sees. He recalls Joseph’s predicament, the injustice and the lonely isolation, and He rescues. Once again, Joseph interprets dreams and his position and title is eventually elevated.
Famine prevails in the land. A desperate Jacob looks at his sons and reprimands them, “Don’t just stare at each other. Do something!” And the story begins to unravel as the brothers go to Egypt to seek grain. Joseph is pulled from his dungeon of despair and dressed in fine linen and adorned with a gold necklace. God set a twenty-year plan into motion. Joseph was positioned and equipped with purpose. And he never let regret, anger, and bitterness rule in his heart.
When it looked like things were stacked against Jacob, and he would die of sorrow, God intervened. He would see his son Joseph again- face to face.
God reunites the torn family and heals the hearts that have carried guilt, shame, and hidden hurt. This is our God! We’re not penniless orphans. We’re not meant to be scattered and alone. We are meant to walk side by side in the freedom of Christ.
God beckons us to come close. Do not be afraid of intimacy. The pit was meant for good.
The gray lifts with bitter-cold flakes as blue skies shine through my reverie. This is my Father’s world- here on our land. So, I begin to sing my favorite song of boarding school:
This is my Father’s world
And to my listening ears
All nature sings and round me rings
The music of the spheres
This is my Father’s world
I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees
Of skies and seas
His hands the wonders rod
This is my Father’s world
The birds their carols raise
The morning light the lily white
Declare their maker’s praise
This is my Father’s world . . .
~ by Maltbie Davenport Babcock
God remembers our oppression. He has a plan. So, look outward and sing of His beauty!
Blessings,
Lily Mae
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