Today, we continue our series entitled “Laser Focus,” emphasizing living with a Laser Focus on the Fixed Purpose God established for us before the world began.
(Proverbs 4:25 TPT)
Set your gaze on the path before you. With fixed purpose, looking straight ahead, ignore life’s distractions.
Scriptures for today:
(James 1:2-4 TPT)
2 My fellow believers, when it seems as though you are facing nothing but difficulties, see it as an invaluable opportunity to experience the greatest joy that you can!
3 For you know that when your faith is tested, it stirs up power within you to endure all things.
4 And then as your endurance grows even stronger it will release perfection into every part of your being until there is nothing missing and nothing lacking.
(Ecc 3:1 ERV)
There is a right time for everything, and everything on earth will happen at the right time.
Read Genesis 43
Setting the stage (from Genesis 43:15-30).
In our last message, we saw how Jacob finally decided to send his boys to Egypt to get food. I dealt with the fact that we all get frustrated. Jacob certainly was. In one breath he pronounced a blessing over his boys (so they could make a successful trip to Egypt and back), and in the next breath, he resigned to losing all his children.
Joseph’s brothers set off for Egypt with gifts, money, and Benjamin. When they arrived in Egypt, they had an audience with the Sultan (Joseph). Joseph looked at his brothers, and he finally saw Benjamin. Benjamin was his only full-blood brother. He loved them all but had a special place in his heart for Benjamin. 11 of the 12 brothers were together. All 12 could have been together, but Simeon was still being held hostage.
To complete the circle with a celebration, Joseph instructed his steward to take the men to his house and to have a fine meal prepared. The brothers were taken to Joseph’s house, but they were still anxious and afraid. They could not understand why they were being treated so well. They thought it was some sort of trap. They took the opportunity to explain to Joseph’s steward that the first time they visited Egypt to purchase food, they somehow left with their money in their bags. They assured him they brought a double portion of the money this time, but Joseph’s steward said, “Everything is in order. Don’t worry. Your God and the God of your father must have put the money there. I was paid in full.” After that, they were truly confused.
This scenario playing out in front of them seemed too good to be true. They still thought some sort of trap was coming and that they would be punished for what they had done to Joseph 22 years earlier. However, no matter how skeptical they were, things kept working out for their good. Then, to make good things even better, Simeon was returned to them. So, the scene was set.
All 11 brothers were made comfortable, and their donkeys were tended to. The brothers spread out their gifts and waited for Joseph. They were prepared to “pay” the Egyptian Sultan everything they had. Joseph showed up, the brothers presented their gifts, and they bowed respectfully before him. Joseph welcomed them and asked about their father. At that moment, Joseph looked around and realized all 12 brothers were reunited. Not only that, but they were bowing to him, just like in the dream. And then he looked over to Benjamin. When he saw that all his brothers were there and that Benjamin was present, he was overwhelmed with emotion. It was too much for him to handle. Joseph rushed out of the room into his private chamber and wept uncontrollably.
The brothers could see and hear what was going on. They were totally confused. I will stop here in the story today.
So, what does this mean for you today? A few things.
1. Grace is undeserved.
Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt as guilty men. They knew they were guilty before God for what they had done to Joseph as a boy. They believed they would be accused of being guilty before the Sultan for leaving without paying for the food on their first trip to Egypt. They were afraid. They laid out their money and bowed down before the Egyptian Sultan in an attempt to receive mercy. They never knew that the man they were bowing down before actually loved them and had already forgiven them. He loved them so much that he burst into tears. He cried uncontrollably because instead of wanting to punish them, he wanted to bless them. He wanted to spend time with them. He wanted to be reunited with them.
This is how it is when you come to God. You come unquestionably guilty, and your guilt makes you attempt to “pay” for your sin. You want to do “things” to make up for what you have done. But there is nothing you can do to pay for sin. Jesus has already paid the price. You bow before God as a guilty foreigner, as the men did in the text, but Jesus receives you in love as a blessed brother from the same Father.
God does not want to bless you because you are so good. The message of grace is that God wants to bless you because He is good. It’s that simple. God loves you so much that His heart yearns for you like Joseph’s heart did for his brothers.
When Joseph was reunited with his long-lost brothers, he wanted to throw a party. He laid out a spread. Although they had done him wrong, he was not holding their transgressions against them. Joseph loved them so much that he cried. This is how it is when you come to God. You are clearly guilty. You have done more things wrong than you want to remember. But instead of chastising you for your flawed performance, God overwhelms you with His love. Instead of punishing you, angels rejoice in heaven, and they throw a party the moment you get saved, the moment you accept Jesus as Lord!
This is grace. It is unmerited, unearned, and undeserved. Grace is amazing!
How This Applies to You:
— Recognize that God’s grace is a gift, not something you can earn.
— Embrace the love God has for you, even when you feel unworthy.
— Accept that God’s blessings are based on His goodness, not your performance. This will deliver you from performance-based religion.
— Let go of guilt and receive God’s overwhelming love and forgiveness.
— Celebrate the fact that God’s grace transforms your life completely. Enter into every day ready to live #TheGraceLife.
2. Joseph, in the story back then, is Jesus today.
There are too many similarities between Joseph and Jesus to pass up.
— Joseph was beloved by his father. When Jesus was baptized, the Father said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (see Matthew 3:17).
— Joseph was envied, hated, and betrayed. So was Jesus (see John 15:25).
— Joseph was living with the knowledge that someday he would rule because God planned it that way. Obviously, the same is true for Jesus (see Isaiah 53:2).
— Joseph was betrayed and sold for 20 pieces of silver. Jesus was betrayed with 30 pieces of silver (see Matthew 26:15).
— In our text, the brothers came to Joseph with guilt and shame. Instead of punishing them, Joseph received them as forgiven family members. Instead of condemning them for what they had done, he ordered a meal to be prepared. They had dinner. One day, we will stand before God. We will know we have done more wrong than we want to remember. But if we are Born-Again, instead of punishing us, God will prepare a meal for us. We will enjoy the marriage supper of the Lamb (see Rev. 19:9).
How This Applies to You:
— Understand that Jesus’ sacrifice makes you a family member of God. Once you are covered by the Blood of Jesus, you are in Christ, and no one can pluck you out of God’s hand.
— Know that your sins are forgiven because of Jesus, not because of anything you’ve done.
— Realize that Jesus intercedes for you and prepares a place for you.
— Embrace your identity as a beloved child of God.
— Look forward to the eternal fellowship with Jesus, starting now and continuing in heaven.
— I know that, like Joseph’s brothers in the text, this may all seem too good to be true, but it is true. It is the grace of God, and it is amazing!
3. We must grow to the point where we BELIEVE the love of God!
The Apostle John, in his 90s, wrote the following:
(1 John 4:16-17 KJV)
“And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.”
— As you expand your capacity to believe God you must get to the point where you believe the love.
— John tells us that God’s love in us becomes perfect (or mature) when we believe it!
— Many Christians, even after they are Born-Again, come to God broken, hoping that He will accept them. They do this because they do not believe they are already accepted. While they are bowing before Him, afraid, God is like Joseph in the text, almost at the point of weeping, because He loves them so much.
— I don’t know about you, but I was raised in a very religious environment. So, when I thought about the Day of Judgment, I was always afraid. I trembled in fear over standing before God. But the Apostle John tells us that on that day, we will be able to stand before God with boldness. Why? For two reasons. First, God loves us with an unconditional love. Second, as John puts it, “Because as he [Jesus] is, so are we in this world.”
— God does not love you because you are good. He loves you because He is good. This is what happened to Joseph’s brothers in the text.
— God does not want to bless you because you did right. No, He wants to bless you simply because He desires to do right by you. Once again, this is exactly what happened to Joseph’s brothers in the text.
— God blesses you simply because he loves you. Once you truly believe the love of God, it will transform your perspective of God and change your life forever.
— This series is about faith and patience and how you need both as you seek the manifestation of God’s purpose for your life. One of the greatest ways to maintain your patience is to open your heart to God’s love and to meditate on it day and night. The more you remind yourself that God loves you, that He wants to bless you, that He made plans for you before the world began, and that He is tirelessly dedicated to those plans, the stronger your faith will be and the longer you will be able to hold on, so you can see what God said!
— Grace helps you to believe what God believes about you. That’s the key to faith and patience. Believe the love!
How This Applies to You:
— Accept that God’s love for you is real, even when it feels too good to be true.
— Let God’s love transform how you see Him, yourself, and others.
— Keep reminding yourself of God’s promises and His plan for your life.
— Use God’s love as a foundation to build unshakable faith and patience.
— Believe that God’s grace empowers you to fulfill His purpose for your life.
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I believe Your grace is undeserved, and I receive it with gratitude.
I acknowledge that when I come to You in guilt, You receive me in love.
I embrace the fact that You bless me because You are good, not because I am.
I accept that Your love transforms my life completely, filling me with joy and peace in believing.
Like Joseph’s brothers, I am forgiven and received as a beloved family member.
I understand that Jesus’ sacrifice allows me to stand before You, blameless and loved. As Jesus is, so am I, in this world!
I accept my identity as Your child, and I walk in the confidence of Your love.
I meditate on Your promises, knowing that You have great plans for me.
I declare that Your grace empowers me to fulfill Your purpose for my life, and GREATER IS COMING FOR ME!
I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
