"Am I in God's Place?"

After Jacob died, it occurred to Joseph's brothers that he might now seek revenge for the wrongs they'd committed against him so many years ago. Perhaps, they thought, Joseph had only delayed punishing them to avoid further pain to his dear father. They couldn't even face Joseph with their fears; instead they sent a messenger to plead their case to him.

I love Joseph's response: "Am I in God's place?" If anyone had reason to forget who he was, it would have been Joseph. After all, for several decades, he enjoyed a vast reign of power second only to Pharoah. All the nations of the world knew their future depended upon this man Joseph, who meted out food from the Egyptian storehouses to those he considered no threat to the prosperity of Egypt. Men from all nations had bowed the knee before this young Hebrew.

Through all this, Joseph never lost sight of his role in God's work. He was only the dreamer - God gave the dreams. And he was merely the actor in the miracle God had orchestrated - in Joseph's mind, it never ceased to be God's story.

So graciously he allayed his brothers' fears and assured them he only wants the best for them and their families. He reminds them that the events of the past years were all part of God's plan.

Wow. What a reminder for me. So often I get so wrapped up in my life and I actually think it's all about me. It's not. It's God's story and I'm just privileged to be a part of it. May I continually point others to the Author of the Story. (Read the conclusion to the story for yourself!)