http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2043-45&version=NIV
Grace, grace and more grace
Justice and judgment I fully understand but what is this grace?
Did you notice how Joseph put the pressure on his brothers? He didn’t reveal himself immediately but rather treated them harshly. Test after test, Joseph saw how his brothers responded to the pressure. Why was he doing this? Why not just reveal himself to his brothers? Joseph wanted to see their attitude toward their younger brother, Benjamin. Are his brothers full of hatred like they were toward him? Joseph applied the pressure.
In their trials, Joseph’s brothers realized they were reaping what they have sown. They have sinned against Joseph years earlier and now his blood has come upon them. They knew about justice and judgment. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But there was one thing lacking in their life, they needed to understand the grace of God!
Have you sinned and now you are reaping the consequences of it? Because of our rebellion, our circumstances just won’t work out. We realize we are reaping what we have sown. We fully understand God’s perfect justice.
This isn’t the end of the story. God is a God of justice and judgment, but He also is a God of love and grace. This is what Joseph wanted to teach his brothers. Yes, we are guilty! Yes we did do it! But you know what, God is greater than our sin!!! To you hear this? God is greater than all our mess-ups. As we turn our hearts to Him, He is quite able to turn everything around for our blessings. All is forgiven and forgotten.
How can God do this? After all, we deserve to be punished for what we did. It is called GRACE: free unmerited favor of God, unearned by us. It flows from the heart of God toward hurting mankind. It is grace to live unto God. It is grace to get up and start afresh with God. All is forgiven. Do we deserve this grace? No we don’t!!!! This is why it is called grace.
John 1:14
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
Rev. 21:21
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
KW
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here is another interesting point worth sharing
ReplyDeleteGen 42:8-9 So Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. Then Joseph remembered the dreams which he had dreamed ....
This phrase has always stuck with me. We get the Word of God in us when we think we don't need it and when the time comes when we do need it, God brings it back into our minds to help us.