“I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.” Genesis 45:4-5
If you look at the story of Joseph through the frame of unbelief, it is a catalogue of disasters:
- He was born into a dysfunctional family, where his brothers beat him up and sold him into human trafficking.
- His sexual integrity caused him to lose his job and spend years in prison, after his boss’s wife (who tried to seduce him) made false accusations against him.
- He reached out to help a fellow prisoner, only to find that when the man was released, he forgot about Joseph and did nothing to help him.
You read the story and think, This man will be totally messed up, bitter, and dysfunctional. But when Joseph is finally reunited with his brothers, he says, “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good” (50:20). That’s the transforming power of the gospel.
One of the most amazing effects of the gospel is that your life story looks entirely different when you know that your life is in the Redeemer’s hands. It is the story of God’s love and kindness reaching into your pain and sorrow, your sin and rebellion, and redeeming your life for His eternal glory and your eternal joy.
Do you want to see revival in your life? Preach the gospel to yourself every day. Tell yourself who you are in Christ. Tell yourself what He has done for you. Nourish your soul on this truth. Bathe yourself in the healing stream of Christ’s love for you.
Are you actively rejecting the unbelief that says God is absent and hostile and doesn’t care?
