It was God who sent me!

[logi bear]

Genesis 45:1-5
1 Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him. He cried, "Make everyone go out from me." So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers.
2 And he wept aloud, so that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it.
3 And Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?" But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence.
4 So Joseph said to his brothers, "Come near to me, please." And they came near. And 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.
For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest.
7 And 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....
(ESV) (Emphasis mine)

Joseph's brothers had betrayed him. They had beaten him, thrown him in a pit, and sold him into slavery! And yet, he had no anger towards them. God had brought him to a place where he was able to understand that every bad thing that happened to him was in God's hands. God KNEW that his brothers would resent him, God KNEW that his brothers would sell him into slavery, and He had a plan. Did God make Joseph's brothers sin? OF COURSE NOT! Did God approve of the sin that Joseph's brothers committed? OF COURSE NOT. But God knew what they were going to do ahead of time, and He had a plan, a plan to give the trial that Joseph was going to go through a purpose. This purpose was to save Egypt, the surrounding nations, and his very own family from a future famine. But because God had a plan, because God used Joseph's trial for good... It was not his brothers that had sold him into Egypt, it was not his brothers that had done him evil... it was God who had SENT him to Egypt, it was God who had BLESSED Him with an incredible calling.
After he tested his brothers when they came to Egypt in the time of famine, he revealed himself to them. He wept so loudly that the whole household of pharaoh heard him, and he said "I AM JOSEPH! Is my father still alive!??" His brothers could not answer him, they were freaking out. So he said, "Come closer please." And when they had in all likelihood shuffled over to him, He said "I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. Don't be upset with yourselves because you sold me into slavery, because it was GOD who sent me here to save lives. There has been a famine for 2 years, and there are 5 years still to go. And it was GOD who sent me ahead of you to save your lives, and to ensure there would be generations of your families to come. So it was not YOU who sent me here, IT WAS GOD."
I was listening to a teaching I downloaded from my church's website today, and the recurring theme I have been hearing in lately is that everything that happens in your life, whether its good or bad, its something that you can have peace about. Trials and tribulations will happen (James 1:2-3, Romans 5:3-4). We should be able to rest in peace even when our worlds are crashing down around us because we know that we are in Gods hands, that He sees everything that happens to us, that He cares about us and our pain so much that He collects all of our tears in a bottle and records them in a book (Psalms 56:8), and He numbers all the hairs on our heads (Matt 10:30). He promises to protect us (Psalms 62, Psalms 91)! So if you become sick, or you loose your job, or someone crashes into your car, you can have peace that If God is allowing to happen to you, He has a good reason. Even if you don't know what it is. If someone sins against you, you can have peace that God will find some way to use it for the good if you let Him. (Romans 8:28)
Joseph's character always amazes me, lets be more like Joseph. Forgive others when they hurt you, because if you let Him, God will find a way to use their wrongdoing for the good. And so in the end it will not be THEY that hurt you, it will be GOD that blessed you! IT will not be THEY that dragged you down, it will be GOD who lifted you up!