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.
(Genesis 45:1-3 MSG)
1 Joseph couldn’t hold himself in any longer, keeping up a front before all his attendants. He cried out, “Leave! Clear out—everyone leave!” So there was no one with Joseph when he identified himself to his brothers.
2 But his sobbing was so violent that the Egyptians couldn’t help but hear him. The news was soon reported to Pharaoh’s palace.
3 Joseph spoke to his brothers: “I am Joseph. Is my father really still alive?” But his brothers couldn’t say a word. They were speechless—they couldn’t believe what they were hearing and seeing.
So, what does this mean for you today? A few things.
1. Forgiveness frees the forgiver.
We live in a society where holding grudges is commonplace. Hospitals are full of patients whose physical illnesses were initiated by holding on to hatred, resentment, bitterness, and unforgiveness. Many people just can’t seem to find it within themselves to forgive. These grudges cause emotional baggage that eventually eats away at their peace. I don’t believe Joseph could have become the man God destined him to be if he had lived with a root of bitterness in his heart towards his brothers. The fact that he was weeping uncontrollably when he was reunited with his brothers, instead of being filled with hatred and malice, is a clear indication that he had “released” them in his heart a long time before this event.
Holding on to bitterness is like drinking poison and thinking that the other person is going to get sick. They have moved on with their lives. But you never will until you genuinely LET IT GO in your heart! When you truly forgive, you RELEASE the person of the wrong done to you, but you also RELEASE yourself to move forward!
How this applies to you:
— If you want to move forward into your God-given destiny, you must let go of bitterness and resentment. This will free you from emotional baggage.
— Recognize that forgiveness is as much for your benefit as it is for the person you forgive. Forgiveness frees you!
— Embrace forgiveness as a pathway to inner peace and spiritual growth.
— Reflect on areas in your life where you need to extend forgiveness and choose to forgive.
— Understand that holding grudges only hinders your spiritual progress and inner well-being.
2. Relationships can cause incredible joy and also tremendous pain.
Joseph’s story is a powerful reminder of the joy and pain that relationships can bring. While Joseph had clearly moved on with his life, his brothers could not say the same thing. They were living with their mistake, and it was eating away at them for over 20 years. This is a situation many of us can relate to. Guilt, shame, and remorse can overshadow our lives, and as long as we allow these negative emotions to remain, we will never operate to our full potential.
When something terrible happens in a relationship, there is a danger on both sides of the transgression. The transgressor must learn to forgive him or herself, and the transgressed must learn to forgive the transgressor. Unless both are done, a single act can ruin both sides.
In our story, Joseph was the transgressed, and the brothers were the transgressors. Joseph had already forgiven the brothers in his heart, but the brothers were still holding on to the guilt of what they had done. They did not know Joseph’s whereabouts. They thought he was dead, and his supposed death lingered over their heads for over two decades.
On the other hand, Joseph found it in his heart to forgive, and he was thriving. He moved on with his life. Joseph refused to live with the pain of his past. He forgave them because he loved them and because of his relationship with God. This is why he cried uncontrollably. He was crying tears of joy.
There are no Lone Rangers in the Body of Christ. We were designed to live our lives with others. To do so the way God wants us to, we must learn to forgive, develop a forgiving heart, and tap into the power of forgiving ourselves!
If you learn to make the most of the relationships God wants you to have, you will live a fantastic life and contribute to the lives of others.
How this applies to you:
— Embrace the power of forgiveness to heal relationships (externally) and release guilt (internally).
— Understand that holding onto guilt and shame prevents you from reaching your full potential.
— Seek to forgive others and yourself to experience true freedom and joy.
— Value the relationships God places in your life and work to nurture them through grace and forgiveness.
— Recognize that you are not alone and that thriving relationships are essential for spiritual growth. You need others, and they need you.
3. You have NOT Disqualified yourself from Your Destiny!
This series is about living by faith and developing patience along the way. It should be clear to you by now that we need faith AND patience to obtain God’s promises (Heb 6:12). Most of this series has been dedicated to Joseph. Let’s take a moment to focus on his brothers. They were called, too. They had a destiny as well. They have entire TRIBES of Israel named after them to this day. But, as you can see from the text, they spent over 20 years of their lives thinking that they had ruined their lives with ONE BAD DECISION.
Remember, you are called to the destiny God designed for you before the world began. God called you by grace, not merit. He also called you with divine foreknowledge of everything you would ever do, both good and bad. So, even if you feel like you’ve made mistakes or taken wrong turns, be of good cheer (as Jesus would say). You can never disqualify yourself because you never qualified in the first place. God did not call you based on your performance. God called you based on His love and His perfect plan for your life.
Paul taught us that “faith works by love” (Gal 5:6). When I was a young Christian, I thought that Paul meant that my faith would be strong when my love walk was strong. As a result, I tried (my best) to walk in love with everyone because I did not want to stifle my faith. But if you read the entire letter from Paul to the believers in Galatia, the Apostle is focusing on God’s grace and NOT our performance. So, “faith works by love” does not mean that my faith is going to work when my love for God is perfect. What it means is that my faith will be strong when I realize that God’s love for me is perfect. Faith works by love because faith only truly works when you are convinced that God loves you and that He is more committed to you than you are to Him!
Read these two scriptures and give them some thought:
(2 Tim 2:13 AMP)
If we are faithless [do not believe and are untrue to Him], He remains true (faithful to His Word and His righteous character), for He cannot deny Himself.
(Heb 8:12 KJV)
For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
How this applies to you:
— Recognize that God’s call on your life is based on His grace and love, not your performance.
— Understand that you cannot disqualify yourself from God’s destiny for you because you never qualified in the first place.
— Embrace God’s love and let it fuel your faith.
— Trust that God considered your mistakes and called you anyway.
— Focus on God’s perfect love for you, which strengthens your faith and commitment to Him.
4. God is greater than your heart!
The Apostle John said, “If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.” (1 Jn 3:20 NIV)
When you do something wrong, the devil will remind you of it over and over again so you can live with condemnation in your heart. This is what happened to Joseph’s brothers. When you feel condemned, you run FROM God.
Under the New Covenant, we, as believers, have the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit does not come to condemn you. He comes to convict you of your righteousness. When you are convicted and reminded of who you are in God, you run back TO Him and not away from Him!
Satan wants you to feel condemned in your heart. But John said that when your heart condemns you, God is greater than your heart. Why? Because He knows all things. He already knew the mistake you were going to make, and He called you to your destiny ANYWAY! So stop beating yourself up for your mistakes. Receive forgiveness from God, forgive yourself, and keep going! You have not derailed yourself from your destiny. Greater is coming for you!
How this applies to you:
— Recognize that God’s love and grace are greater than your feelings of condemnation.
— When you feel condemned, turn to God instead of running away from Him.
— Embrace the Holy Spirit’s conviction of your righteousness and let it draw you closer to God. He will remind you of who you are in Him!
— Understand that God knew your mistakes and called you anyway, so forgive yourself and keep moving forward.
— Trust that greater things are coming for you as you walk in God’s forgiveness and grace.
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I embrace Your love and plans for my life.
I reflect Your heart through my actions of empathy and compassion.
I release all bitterness by forgiving others as You have forgiven me.
I let love guide me, striving to bless others daily.
I align my will with Yours, seeking to develop Your heart within me.
I live in harmony with Your purpose, guided by Your Spirit in all I do.
I walk in Your grace, confident that You bless me according to Your purpose despite my flaws.
I believe in Your boundless love for me, making all things possible.
I boldly declare that GREATER IS COMING FOR ME! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
