Joseph

Many of you will remember the story of Joseph – that is Joseph with the coat of many colors. Or, Joseph and the Technicolor Dream Coat – if you saw the Broadway Musical. You may remember that he was betrayed by his brothers, and sold into slavery. Somehow he ascends to a place of great power in Egypt, and God uses him in this new place. Many years later, his brothers come to Egypt looking for food in the midst of a famine. Joseph confronts them. However, in spite of their betrayal, he forgives them.

I’ve looked at this story from several angles over the years, but as I reflect on it today, I think what strikes me most is Joseph’s statement to his brothers: “Even though you intended to harm me, God intended it for good…”

It’s a remarkable statement. It reminds me of the Apostle Paul’s statement, “All things work together for good for those who love God…”

Is it possible that God is at work in all things – even horrific things bringing about something good?

I think about some of my friends who lost their family business during the last big recession in 2008… It had been in their family for years. They had two kids still in high school at that time, and the loss was just devastating. They were worried about losing their home. They were worried about how they were going to make ends meet. I remember how heart-wrenching it was.

But looking back, God did move in their lives during that time. God did bring about something new. My friend tells me that this whole experience brought them together as a family. They bonded in ways they never could have imagined. And, they began to experience a whole new level of gratitude for the gifts they did have.

It wasn’t too long after that, that my friend enrolled in seminary. I went to his ordination service a few years ago, and today, he’s serving as a pastor. Their lives, out of this destruction, took a whole new direction.

I wonder if there have been events in your life that seemed so devastating in the moment, but that on looking back, you can see that something new; something good – maybe even something beautiful came out of it… Maybe not what you planned, not what you expected, but beautiful nonetheless.

Let us pray: We pray, gracious God, that even amid the devastating moments in our own lives, your Spirit would move anew. We ask for healing, redemption, and the ability to see light beyond the darkness. In Jesus’ name. Amen.