2024_05_10 Insight Post- Karenna Rowenhorst
This week’s reading- Genesis 37-45, Genesis 50
I don’t always have a good feeling about trust. For me, trusting something means I can’t be part of the behind-the-scenes process and decision-making. It means I have to deal with the unexpected. I like certainty, planning, and knowing what to expect so I can prepare for it. I like to know my plans for the week, the weekend, vacations, the summer…and the list goes on.
The life of Joseph was just the opposite. Being sold into slavery by your own brothers, accused of rape by your boss’s wife, and thrown into prison for years, Joseph understood what it felt like to not know what was happening next. And he had no room for long-term plans. No five and ten year goals. No vision board illustrating his future. What is life like when you have no idea what is coming next? What is life like when nothing but terrible things come your way? Uncertainty on this level takes an emotional and physical toll and can make you angry to a level that turns to bitterness.
I think what inspires me about Joseph is he never blames God for any of the bad things that happen to him. He has a distinctly different approach to his circumstances that I want to learn from. Joseph reminds us that the Lord was with him through the ordeal of being a slave in an Egyptian household (Genesis 39:2). God was with him in prison after he was wrongly accused. We read, “But the Lord was with Joseph in the prison and showed him His faithful love.” Genesis 39:21
What do you think faithful love looks like when you are unjustly in prison? Would you feel like you were being loved faithfully if you were wrongly accused and placed in prison? We know that God is faithful and keeps His promises, but I can tell you I would have serious doubts about being loved at that moment. So what is this passage talking about? What are we missing?
I think we are underestimating the presence of God in Joseph’s life. The internal reality of knowing that God is with you, even when things aren’t turning out the way we want in the short term, is more powerful than any external circumstance. And the reality is things may never turn out the way we want. There are just too many people and wills and options for us to orchestrate our lives exactly the way we want them to be. So, we have to lean on God. To come to Him humbly, understanding that we can’t be the ones in control because we are limited human beings. God, on the other hand, is on the throne. He has plans and purposes for us that will ultimately be fulfilled, but often not on our timetable or in the way we think they should be.
Trusting God daily is an exercise in humility and acknowledging that, really, no matter how much I want to be, I’m not in control. When we trust Him, a beautiful relationship develops where we are influenced and led by God every hour of the day. When things happen – good and bad –we can anchor ourselves in His presence and love. God does not give up, get tired, bow out, take a break, or call it quits. He is always with us.
When Joseph finally reunites with his family, he recognizes that God used his ordeal to save his entire family. Joseph explains to his brothers, “But don’t be upset, and don’t be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives.” Joseph gives all the credit to God for his ability to save his family from starvation. Not only that, but he absolves his brothers of any feelings of guilt over their actions. He forgives them for taking him away from his family and selling him into slavery. It was not the plan Joseph would have laid out for himself, but he stayed close to God every step of the way and God brought something beautiful out of the mess of jealousy and deceit Joseph’s brothers caused.
I have a distinctly “girl scout” mentality when it comes to life – always be prepared. I think if I’m always prepared, then nothing can catch me off guard or surprise me. And I hate to be surprised. But these days I’m trying to take more of a “let’s see what happens here” approach and be more open to making a different decision in the moment. And when bad things happen, I’m more likely to focus on God and how He wants to be near me in these times. I’m praying short prayers throughout the day to check with God and listen to the Holy Spirit. Asking God what’s on His agenda for the day.
How are you doing with getting closer to God? Do you sense His presence with you? If not, can you pray and ask God for his presence in every area of life? “Emmanuel, God with us” is one of the names of God. Let’s remember that truth today.
Karenna Rowenhorst
Senior Director of Education