It is God's doing

Gen 50:20, "...God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done - the saving of many lives."

This was Joseph speaking to his brothers after Jacob had passed away and assuring them that he was harboring no bitterness or resentment towards them. I can imagine that Joseph had a lot of resentment to deal with while in the prison. I wonder if the greatest resentment was not that against his brothers but against God. There was a moment in time where a realization hit him that it wasn't his brothers that did this to him but it was God.

Like one discovering the truth behind a mystery - that it was someone deeply trusted - I can imagine him crying out to God in disbelief - "It was you?" "You did this to me?". It was a moment where Joseph had to make a choice to accept the truth and yet continue to trust and follow.

I have not seen the pain of Joseph or Job in my life. Each of us walks a different path with seasons of struggle (God knows the levels and limits) and we have caught a glimpse of this realization. Somehow this moment deepens us and makes us firm in our resolve to follow at all cost's. This is a realization found in death - death of dreams - death of assumptions about God. We are faced with reality - that God is far beyond anything that we can imagine, rationalize, or define.

The disciples of Christ were faced with this very same choice after hearing tough teaching from the Lord. Their response was - "to whom would we go? you alone hold the words of Truth".

Like Joseph we to must accept that God is working out his perfectly formed master plan for the salvation of a dying humanity. We are given the invitation to join Him in the plan but it will cost us everything that we have - our dreams - our sanity - our assumptions about how God works. But along with all that have faithfully lived before us we will be able to say "It was God's doing." "...God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."

What a joy it is to know that we can be a part of God's master plan!