WordLive - Year OneSample

Prepare: We can never be uprooted from God’s care. Meditate on the love and security you have in our heavenly Father. Losing everything The brothers’ hatred for Joseph comes to a head and he is suddenly and unexpectedly torn from his family home. Out of nowhere, everything he knows, everyone he loves and is loved by is ripped away from him in an instant. The Bible doesn’t go into how Joseph felt but I think it’s helpful to imagine some of the feelings of shock, betrayal and loss he must have experienced. He didn’t get to see his mother or father to say goodbye. Any future he may have imagined for himself in Canaan was gone. All belongings and friends were lost. Not abandoned However, Joseph has not been abandoned by God and, as we will see, Joseph’s faith doesn’t allow this devastating incident to destroy him. What seems like a purely selfish and cruel act on the part of the brothers is also the start of God’s ultimate plan for the good of many (45:4–11). Maybe you live in the shadow of something that happened to you earlier in your life. Maybe you know someone for whom this is true. No shallow platitudes or optimistic verses are enough to work through the pain and sorrow. However, what Jesus has accomplished on the cross is enough. Respond: If this affects you directly, find someone with whom you can share as you look for your healing and wholeness in Jesus. If not, pray for people you know who need Jesus’ healing and restoration in their lives. http://www.wordlive.org/Session/Classic/2012-10-09