GOD ALWAYS HAS A PLAN!

 I've been mulling over the part of Joseph's story as recorded in Genesis 39.  If you need reminded and don't want to take the time to read it:

• Joseph's jealous brothers sold him to a passing caravan of traders.
• They took him to Egypt where he was sold as a slave.
• Pharaoh's captain of the guard bought him as a personal servant.
• Joseph proved himself to be quite helpful in the running of this home.
• Potiphar gave him complete authority having noticed that "the Eternal One was with Joseph and caused everything Joseph did to prosper." [v.3]
• Being a handsome and fit man, Potiphar's wife sought out a sexual relationship with Joseph. 
• Joseph explained his need to honor Potiphar and the role he had given Joseph in the household.
• However, one day she grabbled him by his coat and tried again to seduce him.
• He left his coat in her hand and ran from the house.
• She used the coat to her advantage and claimed that Joseph had tried to force himself upon her.
• When he heard her report, Potiphar was angry and placed Joseph in prison.

What a devastating set of circumstances!  Joseph does the right thing, but ends up being punished for it!  Life can seem so unfair at times!  What is a person to do in unjust situations like this?

Well, Joseph just kept on using the organizational gifts that God had given him!  He persevered in his hardship!

Lo and behold, the jailer soon saw the skill and loyalty of Joseph and put him in charge of all the king's prisoners.  "Whatever needed to be done, Joseph was the one to do it." [v.22]

"The chief jailer, like Potiphar, didn't need to worry about anything that was in Joseph's care because the Eternal One was with him.  And whatever Joseph did worked out well because the Eternal made it so."  [v.23]

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So many of us are wired similarly: when bad things happen we are easily discouraged and blame God for our situation.

The reality is that sometimes bad things just happen.  Corrupt people set traps for us and we get caught in them.  Potiphar's wife has lots of company in our world today!  There is a bounty of evil-minded people who think nothing of destroying others.  

How wrong we are to blame God for every bad thing that happens to us!  We make two primary mistakes:

FIRST,

We blame God when He is also grieving over the devastating circumstances we find ourselves in!

How must God feel when we shut Him out or turn against Him when He loves us so much?  He always sees the bigger picture and knows the real reasons for our unfortunate situation.  He mourns with us that things have gone badly and we're suffering!  

SECOND,

We are so distracted by anger and feelings of injustice that we fail to turn to Him for deliverance!

We MUST REMEMBER WHO WE SERVE!  This great God can do anything!  His resources and connections are unlimited, yet we block His ability to help by our anger and withdrawal.

Joseph didn't get angry with God!  He just kept on using the gifts that God had given him and trusted that the Eternal One would work on his behalf!

Why can't we take this posture?  Why do we so consistently take the anger route?  Why do we attempt to close God off from our lives instead of turning TO HIM?

We shoot ourselves in the foot, and many of us do this over and over again!  when will we ever learn?

God loves us and is always working on our behalf!  We need to trust Him and give Him time to work out His plan!

Maybe some of us need to print this page out, fold it up, and carry it in our wallet or pocketbook?  Let's change our way of thinking!  Let's trust the One who is in all, above all, and over all!  Praise His Name forever!  Amen!  

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If you have 4 1/2 minutes to be blessed, listen to this song by Don Moen: 

ESAU'S UNKNOWN HEALING

Esau and Jacob were the twin sons of Isaac and Rebekah.  

Rebekah was unable to have children for twenty years.  Finally, Isaac prayed for her and she conceived.  [Genesis 25:22-27  -  All quotes from The Voice Bible unless otherwise noted.]

But the children she carried struggled and fought with each other until, in great pain, she exclaimed, “What is going on? Why is this happening to me?” In frustration she inquired of the Eternal One why this civil war was occurring inside of her.

Eternal One (to Rebekah): Two nations are growing inside of your womb,
and the two peoples will be divided in the future.
One will be stronger than the other,
and the older will serve the younger.

When it was time for Rebekah to give birth, she saw that she was carrying twins. The first came out red—his entire body like a hairy blanket—so they named him Esau. His brother followed with his hand clutching Esau’s heel, so they named him Jacob. Isaac was 60 years old when Rebekah gave birth to the twins.

When the boys grew up, they could not have been more different.

As the boys grew and developed, Isaac developed a special love for Esau, while Rebekah grew especially close to Jacob.  

Eventually, Jacob baited Esau and got him to trade his birthright for a bowl of stew.  Later, when Isaac was growing old and wanted to pass his blessing on to his firstborn son, Esau, Jacob and Rebekah conspired for him to steal Esau's blessing through deceit.  [See Genesis 27]

Esau hated Jacob with a fury, because his brother now carried the blessing his father meant for him.

Esau (to himself): The days of mourning for my father are approaching. When he has died, I will kill my brother, Jacob.  [v.41]

Rebekah learned of Esau's plans and persuaded Isaac to send Jacob to her homeland to find a wife.

Jacob spent many years in Paddan-aram where he worked for his uncle Laban and married Leah and Rachel.  Through his two wives and their servants - Bilhah and Zilpah - Jacob gained twelve sons [who eventually became the twelve tribes of Israel].  

After many years, God instructed Jacob to return to his homeland.  After an encounter with his uncle Laban, he began the long journey with his family, servants, and large flocks and herds.  As he got close to Canaan he was told that Esau was coming to meet him with 400 men.  Jacob was terrified!  He separated his family in groups along with his flocks and herds.  He sent an abundance of flocks and herds ahead of him as gifts for Esau to appease his anger.

Then, after laying his plans and securing his family as best he could, Jacob wrestled with a messenger from God all night.  The end result of this encounter was that his name was changed to Israel!

Finally, when he encountered his brother, 

 "Esau ran to meet him.  He embraced Jacob, kissed his neck, and they both cried."  [33:4]

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Well, that's a surprise ending!  What happened to the anger that Esau had felt toward his conniving brother?  What happened to his plan to kill Jacob?  

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We don't have an answer to that question!  The Bible gives no explanation for the change that Esau apparently experienced!  Somehow, he had forgiven his brother, Jacob, and was able to genuinely welcome him back to their homeland.  After much persuading from Jacob, Esau did finally accept the VERY GENEROUS gifts that Jacob presented to him:

• 200 female goats
• 20 male goats
• 200 female sheep
• 20 rams
• 30 milk camels and their colts
• 40 cows and 10 bulls
• 20 female donkeys and 10 male donkeys

Although the presentation of these gifts may have impacted Esau, the narrative leaves us with the impression that somehow God had brought peace to Esau's heart long before this moment.

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Does time heal?

There's little doubt that time does allow us to adapt to unwelcome circumstances.  With the passing of time, we gain perspective and realize that we can move forward in spite of our anger, hurt, loss, pain!  

Esau wanted desperately to please his parents!  But when he married two Hittite women, he brought a lot of pain to Isaac and Rebekah [27:46].  This was part of Rebekah's reasoning for sending Jacob away to find a wife!  

Now Esau saw that his father, Isaac, had again blessed Jacob and sent him to Paddan-aram to find a wife there, instructing him not to marry any of the Canaanite women. He learned, too, that Jacob had gone there just as his father and mother both wanted. So, realizing his father did not like his Canaanite wives, Esau went to see Ishmael and took Mahalath, the daughter of Ishmael (Abraham’s other son) and the sister of Nebaioth, to be his wife in addition to the two others.  [28:6-9]

Esau wanted to please his parents, but everything he did seemed to disappoint them.  He surely must have felt like a failure!  Yet somehow, through the many years that Jacob spent in Paddan-aram, Esau came to peace with the situation.  

Instead of holding on to hatred and bitterness, he seems to have found a way to be satisfied with the life that God had given him.  He welcomed his brother back with a hug, a kiss and tears of joy.  

The only other time that Esau shows up in the biblical story is when he and Jacob meet to bury Isaac together [Genesis 35:28-29].  

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Lord of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Esau,

Esau's sub-story reveals that even when we're not the main character in the plot, You still keep Your eye on us and help us to resolve the conflicts and dilemmas of our lives!  You are so awesome, kind and generous!  Thank You for this sub-plot of Esau's.  Thank You that his life didn't end in bitterness and hatred!  Thank You that You found a way to bring peace to his heart and life!

There are many in our world today who are like Esau!  They feel like they're the sub-plot in their family!  They feel neglected.  They realize that they didn't get their parent's blessing.  They're angry and distracted by plans to get even.  They're jealous.  They need You, Gracious God!  They need to hear Esau's story!  They need to realize that Your resources are unlimited and Your grace is readily available!  

Find them, Lord, and heal them.  Remove the bitterness and replace it with satisfaction and peace and joy!  You can do this!  You've done it for many - including Esau!  Praise Your Holy Name.

Amen