I have been re-reading the Bible. It’s been a while since I’ve read it from ding to dong. Usually my intake of the Word is guided by a bit of a gut check to be honest with what book of the Bible or passage I need to land on for a bit. And I have never been disappointed in the Spirit’s way of timing what I read with the particulars of my life. Maybe that’s part of the “living and active” thing.
I’ve been making my way through Genesis over the past several weeks. There have been many foundational blocks laid in Genesis that our faith has been built upon, held together by the mortar of God’s Spirit. Quite frankly, I have found myself saying to myself many times on this read through, “Holy moly. Talk about your crazy narratives and timelines!”I have also found myself renewed in curiosity and hope that things are not always as they first appear. This morning I finished the part where Joseph reveals himself to his brothers (Genesis 45). More than once in the story building up to this moment did Joseph need to leave the room in order to regain his composure. But now, the turn in the story comes as Joseph, who could no longer control his sobbing, tells his brothers who he really is. And in an unbelievable act of loving forgiveness asks his brothers to come closer (45:4) so he can share with them the whole story from God’s perspective–a perspective that only works if Joseph embraced a certain “sentness” from God the painful and crazy events of his life. Things were different than they appeared.
Maybe you find yourself in a place where not much makes sense, or maybe you wonder if God has all but forgotten you and your circumstances, or maybe your ability to wait and listen and trust are spent. I want to encourage you as hard as it may be to be where you are in your own story. There is sometimes a etched learning that comes along with our waiting and wondering if God is really taking notice, still at work, and still able to catch us. There is more to your story that is yet to come.
The revelation of God is whole and pulls our lives together.
The signposts of God are clear and point out the right road.
The life-maps of God are right, showing the way to joy.
The directions of God are plain and easy on the eyes.
God’s reputation is twenty-four-carat-gold, with a lifetime guarantee.
The decisions of God are accurate down to the nth degree.
Psalm 19:7-9 (The Message)
