December 2, 2023

Passage Read: Genesis 45-48
Meditation Verse: 48:11

Thought

No one ever tells Jacob how Joseph really got to Egypt. Joseph and his brothers know, and his brothers probably live in fear that Joseph will tell on them, but he never does. It hangs over Joseph's brothers like a heavy cloud, but Joseph never seemed to use it against them. He is fully convinced that all was done by the hand of God for the saving of everyone's life. Yet they never come to him and ask forgiveness either, until after the death of their father, and even then they present it like a command from Jacob. And then Joseph again assures them that he holds no grudge.

Application

It is hard to live with the guilt of sin, but it is also hard to humble ourselves and seek forgiveness, even when we know we were wrong! It is far better to confess and repudiate the deeds that brought guilt than to live in fear of retaliation, whether by the offended individual or by God Himself. The sooner I confess, the sooner I can be free of the fear and the weight of guilt.