I was thinking of how often God will ask us to return to an area that is painful, so that He can not only deliver us out of that pain, but He can do something quite extraordinary for someone else. This question came to mind as I was reading in Genesis about Joseph and his encounter with his brothers in Egypt.
The account of Joseph is one of betrayal, suffering, forgiveness, and then restoration. What Joseph endured is beyond what most of us can even imagine, but from it he was able to rise above what was meant for evil, and instead seed goodness.
There was a calling on Joseph’s life, but we have a calling on our life as well. God has a plan and a purpose that is custom made with us in mind. Though others look to thwart the plans that God has for us, they will not be successful. God is a completer, and what He starts He will always bring to completion.
God gave Joseph an anointing to help those that had injured him, including brothers who had caused him years of pain and suffering. The anointing was there for the greater good, to save a remnant that God would raise up for His glory.
Forgiveness comes at a price. Jesus paid the ultimate price and gave us an example of how lives are changed forever when we choose to forgive.
Joseph was given an anointing to love, where hate would have been what most would have expected.
Joseph had a choice to make, and he chose well.
Genesis 45:4-5 CSB Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please, come near to me,” and they came near. “I am Joseph, your brother,” he said, “the one you sold into Egypt. And now don’t be grieved or angry with yourselves for selling me here, because God sent me ahead of you to preserve life.”