Daily in the Word

by Dr. Paul Chappell

"Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life. For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest. And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt. Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt: come down unto me, tarry not: And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children's children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast: And there will I nourish thee; for yet there are five years of famine; lest thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast, come to poverty."

Genesis 45:5-11

God has way more grace than we have sin.

Families stick together. Families have each other's back. Families stand together against outside threats, and stay close during difficult times. But sometimes that doesn't always happen.

Joseph had done nothing wrong against his brothers. He simply had tried to obey God, obey his father, and treat his brothers fairly. Jealousy got the better of his brothers and they turned on Joseph. The men he grew up admiring, respecting, and trying to be like turned on him like he was a stranger.

Joseph's brother's stripped him of his favorite coat, threw him in a pit, considered killing him, then sold him into slavery and told their father he was eaten by a wild animal. Some family! But all would not be lost as Joseph soon rose to be a very powerful ruler in Egypt, with God's help. Soon Joseph's brothers were seeking his help, sitting at his mercy. If there ever were a chance for revenge, this was it.

How did Joseph respond? He forgave them, mourned the time he'd missed with them, and offered to provide for them. What caused Joseph to forgive his brothers? He had learned the value of forgiveness and mercy.

One of the most difficult things to do is choose to forgive rather than seek revenge. Joseph had the power to punish his brothers for how they treated him and some would say he had every right to do so, but he chose instead to forgive his family. Like Joseph, none of our families are perfect. We all have struggles and difficulties, but if we desire to set a godly foundation for our families, we must learn to forgive each other.

You know better than anyone how difficult forgiving family members can be. The ones who are closest to you can hurt you the most. But God's desire is for your family to be a place of forgiveness, grace, and restoration. You won't feel like forgiving the loved one who wronged you, but just as God forgave you of your offenses against Him, so you can forgive your family members.

Jesus is our example in every area of our lives. We look to Him for guidance in how to live godly lives on this earth. When it comes to forgiveness, His example is clear-forgive others as He has forgiven us. Others don't deserve forgiveness for their wrong doings. But in the same way, we don't deserve eternal life and forgiveness of sins. God gives us so much more grace than we have sin.

How forgiving are you when a family member hurts you? Being the first to offer forgiveness can be humbling. Don't become so prideful that you hold on to anger and hurt. With Jesus' example in mind, offer forgiveness when others wrong you.

To learn more about the ministries of Lancaster Baptist Church and Pastor Chappell, please visit lancasterbaptist.org, paulchappell.com, or follow him on twitter.

Daily Bible Reading
Psalms 104-142 | 1 Corinthians 14:1-20