Every summer we take our kids camping and hiking in the Smoky Mountains. I always look forward to this special week, but my children\u2019s complaining never fails. \u201cIt\u2019s too hard.\u201d \u201cWhy do you make us hike?\u201d \u201cCan\u2019t we just go to the pool?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We have them make the trek anyway, step-by-step. We persevere through burning thighs, sibling bickering, and pauses to catch our breath. But then (after what feels like years) we reach the top, and we breathe widely. We pull out the granola bars, oranges, and beef jerky\u2014and soak in the majestic views. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWow. This is cool,\u201d my children say. I smile. The climb is excruciating, but the result is glorious. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Difficult hiking seems like a metaphor for life. Such was the case for Joseph from the pages of Genesis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Joseph\u2019s brothers sold him as a slave and lied to their father for years (Genesis 37:18\u201336). Their treachery forced Joseph to persevere through forced labor, imprisonment, and living as an immigrant in a distant land (Genesis 39\u201340). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But by God\u2019s mercy and providence through Joseph\u2019s excruciating pain of betrayal and servitude, God blessed the work of Joseph’s hands to provide food for multitudes during a widespread famine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I imagine Joseph looked at those under his command as they distributed grain. Maybe he locked eyes with a desperate mother hoping to bake bread for her starving children. Maybe Joseph stood on the roof of the palace and breathed in a sense of humble pride as he watched droves of people caravan to grain centers, the storage houses Joseph led Egyptians to build during years of plenty. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Regardless of the exact details, Joseph saw the hand of God on the mountaintop of life after persevering the excruciating climb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So when Joseph\u2019s father died and his brothers asked for mercy for how they treated him, Joseph replied, \u201cYou planned evil against me; God planned it for good to bring about the present result\u2014the survival of many people. Therefore don\u2019t be afraid. I will take care of you and your children\u201d (Genesis 50:20\u201321). In Joseph\u2019s heart, there was no room for retaliation. God used his painful journey to bring about miraculous provision for nations in years of famine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I relate to Joseph in some ways. I\u2019ve been through more than a decade of deeply painful situations. Life has not turned out the way I imagined, and I\u2019ve struggled with resentment. Bitterness. Unforgiveness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But over the past few years, I\u2019ve begun to see God\u2019s glory from my pain. He\u2019s changing me through it and using me to do work for His kingdom I never imagined possible. I see that God\u2019s ways are higher than mine and He works all things out for the good\u2014even when it looks completely different than I might choose (Isaiah 55:8\u20139, Romans 8:28\u201330). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Where are you on your own treacherous journey of life? In the middle of difficulty with burning thighs and shallow breath? Hold on. The view of God\u2019s faithfulness is glorious from the top.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Every summer we take our kids camping and hiking in the Smoky Mountains. I always look forward to this special week, but my children\u2019s complaining never fails. \u201cIt\u2019s too hard.\u201d \u201cWhy do you make us hike?\u201d \u201cCan\u2019t we just go to the pool?\u201d We have them make the trek anyway, step-by-step. We persevere through burning […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":89,"featured_media":71769,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[294],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-72036","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-genesis25"],"acf":{"hero_background_image":false,"related_plans":[71878],"weekly_truth":false,"grace_day":false,"share_text":"#SheReadsTruth","devotional_text":"JOSEPH'S KINDNESS<\/b>
\r\nby Seana Scott<\/i>
\r\n
Every summer we take our kids camping and hiking in the Smoky Mountains. I always look forward to this special week, but my children\u2019s complaining never fails. \u201cIt\u2019s too hard.\u201d \u201cWhy do you make us hike?\u201d \u201cCan\u2019t we just go to the pool?\u201d<\/p>
\r\n
We have them make the trek anyway, step-by-step. We persevere through burning thighs, sibling bickering, and pauses to catch our breath. But then (after what feels like years) we reach the top, and we breathe widely. We pull out the granola bars, oranges, and beef jerky\u2014and soak in the majestic views.<\/p>
\r\n
\u201cWow. This is cool,\u201d my children say. I smile. The climb is excruciating, but the result is glorious.<\/p>
\r\n
Difficult hiking seems like a metaphor for life. Such was the case for Joseph from the pages of Genesis.<\/p>
\r\n
Joseph\u2019s brothers sold him as a slave and lied to their father for years (Genesis 37:18\u201336). Their treachery forced Joseph to persevere through forced labor, imprisonment, and living as an immigrant in a distant land (Genesis 39\u201340).<\/p>
\r\n
But by God\u2019s mercy and providence through Joseph\u2019s excruciating pain of betrayal and servitude, God blessed the work of Joseph's hands to provide food for multitudes during a widespread famine.<\/p>
\r\n
I imagine Joseph looked at those under his command as they distributed grain. Maybe he locked eyes with a desperate mother hoping to bake bread for her starving children. Maybe Joseph stood on the roof of the palace and breathed in a sense of humble pride as he watched droves of people caravan to grain centers, the storage houses Joseph led Egyptians to build during years of plenty.<\/p>
\r\n
Regardless of the exact details, Joseph saw the hand of God on the mountaintop of life after persevering the excruciating climb.<\/p>
\r\n
So when Joseph\u2019s father died and his brothers asked for mercy for how they treated him, Joseph replied, \u201cYou planned evil against me; God planned it for good to bring about the present result\u2014the survival of many people. Therefore don\u2019t be afraid. I will take care of you and your children\u201d (Genesis 50:20\u201321). In Joseph\u2019s heart, there was no room for retaliation. God used his painful journey to bring about miraculous provision for nations in years of famine.<\/p>
\r\n
I relate to Joseph in some ways. I\u2019ve been through more than a decade of deeply painful situations. Life has not turned out the way I imagined, and I\u2019ve struggled with resentment. Bitterness. Unforgiveness.<\/p>
\r\n
But over the past few years, I\u2019ve begun to see God\u2019s glory from my pain. He\u2019s changing me through it and using me to do work for His kingdom I never imagined possible. I see that God\u2019s ways are higher than mine and He works all things out for the good\u2014even when it looks completely different than I might choose (Isaiah 55:8\u20139, Romans 8:28\u201330).<\/p>
\r\n
Where are you on your own treacherous journey of life? In the middle of difficulty with burning thighs and shallow breath? Hold on. The view of God\u2019s faithfulness is glorious from the top.<\/p>","share_image_height":"640","day_number":"33","scripture":"Genesis 49:1-33, Genesis 50:1-26, Isaiah 55:8-9, Romans 8:28-30","available":true,"ad_banner_name":"","ad_banner_image":false,"ad_banner_url":"","songs":"","key_verse":"","key_verse_reference":"","background_image":false,"background_color":"#FBF7F3","scripture_references":false,"share_image":false,"author_name":"","author_bio":"","guest_social_media":false,"show_ad":true,"ad_override":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/shereadstruth.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72036","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/shereadstruth.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/shereadstruth.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shereadstruth.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/89"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shereadstruth.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=72036"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/shereadstruth.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72036\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shereadstruth.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/71769"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/shereadstruth.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=72036"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shereadstruth.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=72036"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shereadstruth.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=72036"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}