The Joy of Hope

Genesis 37-50. 

When it came to Joseph's heart, reconciliation and reuniting with his brothers and family was more important to him than holding a grudge or punishing them. Joseph said, "What Satan intended for evil God worked out for good." (Genesis 50:20). Joseph saw the bigger picture and looked forward not backward. Jumping into forgiveness with both feet was the vision he had for those relationships. His heart was not stubborn or revengeful. It was THE JOY OF HOPE that he trusted in through all of his struggles. The joy of family ties being mended and restored. 

If you're having problems in a relationship whether it be friend, family, spouse... I encourage you to quiet yourself before the Lord and ask him what he wants to change in YOU first. Humble yourself before him. Let him point out the areas in you that he wants to work on. Before you try to work on any other relationship you have to give God permission to work in you. Whatever relationship is suffering let it just set on the back burner until you are right with God. You need to trust me on this one. When you sit before God and ask him to be honest with you, he will reveal things by speaking the truth in love that you need to hear. (Proverbs 13:24, Hebrews 12:6, Proverbs 12:1) ⬅️ Read these.

Then, start praying for those that are involved. Pray that God would humble their hearts and heal them of any control issues. Pray that they would find Peace in forgiveness and humility in their stubbornness. 

When God sees that those involved have let him work in their lives he will draw them together with soft hearts and new attitudes. Reconciliation can bloom and forgiveness lovingly given. All Hearts will have been submitted to God and desiring to be obedient to his definition of love (Corinthians chapter 13), not ours. 

So many relationships today are fractured. It's as if some people are standing on one side of a great ravine and others are standing on the other side. Everyone's yelling at each other, turning their backs or walking away. The only bridge is Jesus Christ. He is the example that we should all follow. Talk less, forgive more and trust God to change all hearts involved. Only he can do the changes that need to be done. Humility, forgiveness, reconciliation and healing are only possible when you know the love that he showed toward us. Stop trying to fix things. Give God full control over the situation. We cannot bring about those changes with human effort. His love needs to penetrate deep into our pain and change us from the inside out. Building his character and attributes in us. Blessing us with his wisdom, knowledge, understanding, discernment, insight... He needs us to ask him to do great works in us through his Holy Spirit. To replace our emotions with the Spirit of God. 

What is broken, He can repair, what is crooked, he can make straight, but we must step aside and not shadow the work that he wants to do. Find your peace with God before you try to find it with another human being. Pray that they would seek healing with God before they try to fix things with you. 

We can do nothing apart from the vine. (John 15:4-5) If we want to see good fruit in our life, we must let him flow through us. That's the only way other people will see the goodness of God in our lives. And if we are up against someone who is stubborn and prideful we must forgive them and pray for them fervently. That they would humble themselves before God. God wants there to be "glory stories"  that bring hope and wisdom for other people that are going through such circumstances. 

Lastly, I encourage you to praise God before the blessing. Thank him and praise him for hearing your prayers and for answering them. Changing people's hearts takes time, so be patient. God can do it in a second but he has to work with stubborn hearts and that's what makes it take so long. Be patient, be still and know that he is God. (Psalm 46:10). Stand on his promises (read your Bible and keep a journal of his promises), rejoice in him no matter what the circumstances. The fervent prayers of a righteous person availeth much. (James 5:16).

Think about small children. There are some that have such a spirit of stubbornness that they make life hard for themselves and those around them. Then, there are children that love to crawl up on your lap as you tell them a story. Both can have the blessings of God to their fullest but one will have a harder path than the other. Which kind of child of God do you want to be? Will you dwell in your emotions while you kick and scream that things aren't fair. Or, will you sit on the Father's lap and humble yourself to listen to his instructions. 

And the little children came to him and he blessed them.

Matthew (19:13-15), Mark (10:13-16), and Luke (18:15-17).

 

Note: I was a little bit of both. I was stubborn and emotional but at the same time I knew that God had a plan for me. I made a lot of lessons harder than they had to be. But, finally I learned to stop blaming God and realized that all he wanted was to bless me. I came to realize that growth comes through pain. SEEDS have to die before they can live, they are put into the cold dark soil and they have to fight to break into the light. Pearls, sea glass, diamonds... All have to suffer constant aggravation and pressure to shine. If you're feeling that your heart is stubborn before God, then, I encourage you to surrender. There is such peace when you don't have to control everything anymore. Trust in God's timing and rest assured that he hears your prayers and wants to bless you. When we are blessed he is glorified! So, ask him to work on you first. Pray for the others that are involved. Then, rest, knowing that he has everything under control.

All things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

Proverbs 3:18, Wisdom: She is a tree of life for those who take hold of her; those who hold her fast will be blessed.

AI Overview

The Book of Proverbs emphasizes wisdom as crucial for a blessed life, starting with fearing the Lord (Proverbs 1:7, 9:10) and valuing it above riches (Proverbs 3:14-15, 16:16), as wisdom brings long life, peace, and success (Proverbs 3:16, 8:18). Key scriptures highlight that wisdom involves seeking understanding, listening to counsel, and applying knowledge for righteous living, contrasting it with foolishness (Proverbs 4:5-6, 12:15, 19:20). 

Shalom, Shalom