Sent

Don't you love it when you receive a love letter from God?  When He delivers just what you need to ponder and think about, along with sharing with Him your honest feelings.  Which sometimes just are not pretty thoughts or actions...

The study this week brings me to Joseph.  The first questions right out of the book were do you feel wronged?  Do you think you have been dealt a bad hand?  Would you like to turn the tables?  Quite honestly I had very real feelings on each of these questions and they were not all pretty.  It seems like forever we have had several situations in our life that will just not go away.  Someday I might share with you a little bit about the walk, but it is very, very difficult.  The situations sometimes just bring out my ugly...I try to hide it from most people, but those close to me sometimes get lofted a pretty bad remark or attitude.  I apologize and will try to do better...I also ask forgiveness.

The scripture that God brought me  is found in Genesis 45.  Joseph is telling his brothers who he is and the brothers are very afraid.  After all, they put him down a well to die and then sold him to some folks passing by.  Not exactly nice actions.  Yet, look at Joseph's words.

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.  Do you see the words?  God sent me.  

It is difficult to think about God sending us to some pretty difficult even horrible situations, but it is true.  He wants to grow us to rely on Him and also to worship and praise Him in these very difficult trying times.  God allows us in these places.  It might rub you wrong reading those words, but I prefer to look at like a difficult love letter that God sends each of us.  He loves us so much that He will do what it takes for each of us to focus and grow in our relationship with Him.  Love letters aren't always sweet and cheerful.  Sometimes they are difficult words, but still a love letter.

I love that God desires our relationship so much that He will send us exactly where we might need to be to serve His needs, His desires, His service.  He trust us that we will lean on Him and get through the hard stuff to see His Light Shining all through the terrible mess!

Letting His Light Shine through me,

Debbie