| Fruits of Your Love for God (5) |
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Genesis 45:1-5 (NIV)
Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants….And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, ... Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph! Is my father still living?" ….Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come close to me.” And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.
Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants….And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, ... Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph! Is my father still living?" ….Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come close to me.” And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.
Extending forgiveness and showing mercy unto others serve to further evidence our love for God. In Matthew 6:14-15 (NIV), Jesus said, “for if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. In Mark 11:25 (NIV), Jesus said, “and when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”Our Heavenly Father wants us to show mercy and forgive others in the same way that He extends His daily mercies and forgiveness to us. If it is something you are willing to do, God the Father will give you the grace to do it in the same way it was given to Joseph in our text above.
There was a certain knowledge about God that Joseph had that caused him to be able to love and forgive his brothers, despite all they had done to him. He knew that no weapon formed against him would prosper and that God was with him, divinely causing all things to work together for his good. As a result, he was ready to forgive his brothers because they were ignorant to what they were doing. Unbeknownst to them, their actions were in line with God's plan to prepare and position Joseph to do great exploits in the land of Egypt. As you extend love and mercy unto those that hurt you, your testimony will be like that of Joseph also.
PRAYER FOCUS: Forgive and release every one that has hurt you and receive God's grace to keep loving and forgiving others.
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