It is God's nature to create and be creative. Creation itself provides the perfect panoply of his handiwork. Every bird that sings, weed that finds refuge in a sidewalk crack or bug that scrambles homeward with its prize reflects the intricate and often complex system creatively working to regenerate an otherwise brutal world. We hardly even take notice of such wonders.
Joseph gets a front row seat as God reveals the sometimes painful side of his creativity.
God works in creative ways to restore the broken relationships in Joseph's family. This has been the overarching theme throughout the Crazy Mixed Up Family series. God restores the family by working through each broken person. Joseph is led through a refining process that took years in the making. Joseph's refinement included a number of defining moments in which he surrendered his rights and privileges as a favorite son in order to bring salvation for his people. The process of becoming the redeemer was not without some painful regenerations along the way.
Salvation is an intricate and complex creative work of God. Redeeming broken people is God's life work. We can never underestimate the lengths God is willing to go in order to save a human soul. The creative, complex, redemptive work often includes moments of anguish much like that of Joseph and his family. God's creative process brings forth new life with the painful revelation of sacrifice. We must give up the old to create the new.
My prayer is that you find hope for your own crazy mixed up family and that you take notice of the wonder of salvation. Joseph's story reveals God's mysterious creative work in the lives of each individual family member. There were moments of destruction, pain and grief. But, God continued to work through individual decisions of sacrifice in order to reconcile the whole family. He did it through Joseph. May he do it through you.
But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. Genesis 50:19-20 NIV