Thought for the day – Tuesday 12 May

Thought for the day - Tuesday 12 May
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May 12, 2020
in Minister's Daily Message
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Dear All
Last night some of our elders joined in a Zoom ‘get together’. It was really quite adventurous and enjoyable too, seeing and hearing one another after such a long time. There were a few glitches, however, and at one point I was ‘cut off’. When I ‘returned’ to the screen someone humorously remarked ”I see we have our ‘dear leader’ back” and I’ve been chuckling away to myself ever since. I think it had something to do with the haircut.
As it is in ‘normal’ circumstances, however, not everyone was able to join in. We do hope to meet again, possibly next week, and maybe more of us can take part. There were no formalities and it was just really nice to see one another, and be ‘digitally reunited’.
Thinking of reunions, there will be few folks, if any, who don’t know the story of Joseph and his brothers and their famous ‘cryathon’, with hardly a dry eye in the house. It was that ‘getting together’ last night that prompted me to write about Joseph and his brothers this morning.
You would, I think, need to have a heart of reinforced concrete not to be moved by all the weeping, hugging and kissing in the closing scenes of the story. It was all very emotional and brought an end to the years of separation and anguish that old Jacob and sons had to endure.
Reunions, even after a short time, can be very emotional and just like Joseph and his brothers there is often a lot of catching up to do. The sense and reality of ‘presence’ replaces the painful chasm of ‘absence’ and just being able to see, touch and talk in person is joyfully overwhelming.
The story of Joseph, however, is not really a story about Joseph at all. It’s a story about the sovereignty of God and how, even with all the intrigue, the lying, cheating and deception, God was at work to save his people. One famous line in the dialogue was spoken by Joseph himself when he said, referring to all that happened, ‘you meant it for evil but God meant it for good’.
There are many evil deeds that have and still afflict our world today, all intended to do harm. Nothing, however, can outdo the love of God in Christ and just as God brought good from evil in the Joseph story, so too will he do the same for us with his grace, mercy and peace.
Today I ask you to think/ meditate on these things.
God bless you!

Jim

JBoag@churchofscotland.org.uk

 

GENESIS 45: 1-14

Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, “Have everyone leave my presence!” So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household heard about it.

Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still living?” But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence.

Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.” When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years, there will be no ploughing and reaping. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

“So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt. Now hurry back to my father and say to him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; don’t delay. You shall live in the region of Goshen and be near me—you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have. I will provide for you there because five years of famine are still to come. Otherwise, you and your household and all who belong to you will become destitute.’

“You can see for yourselves, and so can my brother Benjamin, that it is really I who am speaking to you. Tell my father about all the honour accorded me in Egypt and about everything you have seen. And bring my father down here quickly.”

Then he threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin embraced him, weeping. And he kissed all his brothers and wept over them. Afterwards his brothers talked with him.

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