No Pity Allowed!

Genesis 37:23-28 -  So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the long robe with sleeves that he wore;  and they took him and cast him into a pit. The pit was empty, there was no water in it.  Then they sat down to eat; and looking up they saw a caravan of Ish'maelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing gum, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry it down to Egypt.  Then Judah said to his brothers, "What profit is it if we slay our brother and conceal his blood?  Come, let us sell him to the Ish'maelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh." And his brothers heeded him. Then Mid'ianite traders passed by; and they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ish'maelites for twenty shekels of silver; and they took Joseph to Egypt. 

Poor unfortunate Joseph…mistreated by his brothers…thrown in a well..and sold into slavery. If not for the small spark of human kindness from his brothers Reuben and Judah…Joseph would have died in that well. God used these two brothers to save Joseph…and a caravan of Ishmaelites….to transport Joseph to Egypt….where he could train him….and use him later to show God’s great power.  God had his hand on this young lad from the very night he had his first dream…and placed Joseph exactly where he needed to be to fulfill a great plan to save many people…and show the pagan people of Eygpt…the mighty power of God.

We can all identify with poor Joseph…pity him…feel sorry for him…call his brothers all kinds of ugly names for being so callous and unloving… for being so prideful and selfish. That is just Satan..trying to confuse you. Satan at this moment …is calling up all the times I was mistreated in life…he is trying to get a huge pity party going in my mind as I write.  God even allowed Satan to get me to set my alarm this morning a little late…so that he could block my insights from God…but I sat here…a little worried that I might be late for work…but determined to wait and listen for what God needed me to hear this morning. And he showed up as usual…and kicked ole Satan out of his way.

God’s plan to save us doesn’t mean that we won’t ever suffer. Joseph must have felt so alone and misunderstood as he laid in the bottom of that well….and probably walked the many miles to Eygpt in chains.  And Joseph is not the only one who suffers from this larger plan to save the people during a famine that will come later.  Jacob is walking in God’s will now…but he once again suffers the sadness of loss…poor Jacob suffers terribly as he is deceived into thinking his favorite son is dead. Oh how he mourned and cried for him.

God made Joseph and Jacob wait ….it will be some time before God’s entire plan unfolds…and he has Joseph trained to do the task he brought him to do. That dream he had as a boy will become a reality..after God has all the pieces in place to show his greatest power…to the most people.  God time is not our time…and pain is sometimes allowed in our lives to mold us into more loving compassionate people…full of empathy…..stronger vessels for the tasks God gives us to do.

Father…I thank you for the moments in my own life that caused me pain.  Take my feelings of pity and turn them into feelings of strength and dependence on you. Help me to wait on you to show your glorious plan for me.  Help me to embrace the timeline you have set…and be more patient…and anticipate the lessons you need to train me with to do the job you sent me here to do.  Keep me strong….and help me to recognize when Satan is trying to pull me away from you…and kick him out of the way …like you did this morning. Amen.