Even after repeatedly hearing about God’s grace, you may still occasionally doubt whether God really has forgiven you. Grace is so counterintuitive. Joseph’s brothers experienced this same doubt with respect to Joseph. They suspected that Joseph still wanted to have his revenge on them but was waiting for his father to die so as not to grieve him. This is to be expected since it was not customary, nor honourable to forgive such injustices in those times. But when Joseph hears of their fears, he is grieved by their suspicions. Joseph had learned an important lesson that was still beyond his brothers’ ability to grasp. All they could see was their wrongful actions toward Joseph. But Joseph had seen God turn their ill-intent into providence, and because of this he does not feel any inclination to punish his brothers. It is important that we learn this vital lesson. God wants us firstly to see how he turns our state of guilt and curse into forgiveness and blessing. He then wants us to see how he turns the injustices and curses of others against us into blessing for us. People will wrong you and hurt you. You will suffer injustice. But people cannot determine your life if you don’t let them. If we respond vengefully to people who wrong us, then indeed we have given them control over us. But, if we forgive them, it is a gesture of acknowledgement that God alone determines our destiny and that he can turn the worst of wrongs against us into his perfect providence.
How have you responded to those who have wronged you? Forgive those who have wronged you and entrust your destiny to God.
Read Genesis 50:15-26
