Focus
Pay attention to the tension in your body. Let go of it and any expectations to do anything other than God’s will today. Prepare yourself to hear God’s word.
Read
Joseph Reveals Himself to His Brothers
45 Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, “Send everyone away from me.” So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. 2 And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it. 3 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, so dismayed were they at his presence.
4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come closer to me.” And they came closer. He said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6 For the famine has been in the land these two years; and there are five more years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. 7 God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. 8 So it was not you who sent me here, but God; he has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. 9 Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay.
Reflect
There is a verse in the book of Numbers that haunts me it’s 32:23, “But if you do not do this, you have sinned against theLord; and be sure your sin will find you out.”
I often wonder how Joseph’s brothers lived after they sold him into slavery. Did they think of him every day? Did they wake up each morning and think, “How could I have done that?” Did they convince themselves that their brother probably did end up dying? Or, did they just move on with life and somehow compartmentalize what they did.
During Lent we take a moment to break away from the compartmentalization and we really bring our shortcomings out in the open. Those sins we thought we left behind, simply ignoring them, hoping they would just go away. It doesn’t work like that. Joseph’s brothers were brought face to face with their sin. And what did they find when they repented? Forgiveness.
We too can find forgiveness when we confess and repent of our sins.
Reflect: When have you done something wrong that you did not want anyone to ever know about?
Pray
God, because of our sins, we get ourselves into situations and places where we don’t want to be. But, wherever we are, we know you are with us. Your love comes through and touches us. Help us to always weigh the cost for ourselves and others. Lead us in your ways. Amen.
Go with God!
