If He Allowed It...He'll Use It!

God has forgiven us, now we have the responsibility to forgive others to the same extent.  Joseph is an example of that kind of forgiveness.  He forgave a great wrong, and we are to do the same thing.

1. His brothers had driven him away; he calls them to come near. (Genesis 45:4)
2. His brothers had left him without comfort or home; he encourages his brothers and comforts them. (Genesis 45:5)
3. His brothers had been willing to allow him to die of starvation and thirst in a pit; he gave them provision for their trip home to Canaan. (Genesis 45:21)
4. His brothers sent him away on the back of a mangy camel; he sends them home on fine Egyptian carts. (Genesis 45:21)
5. His brothers had ripped the coat of many colors off his back; he gives them the expensive garments of Egypt. (Genesis 45:22)
6. His brothers sold him for silver; Joseph gives them silver for their trip. (Genesis 45:22)

For Joseph to do this...is a picture of GRACE.

Have you ever been hurt by someone?

Have you ever been offended?

Have there been times when people have wronged you?

What do you do when that happens in your life?

We have the example of Joseph.  He forgave his brothers.  We also have the example of Jesus. When He was hanging on the cross, about to die for sin, as the religious leaders and the crowds passed by mocking Him, He prayed for their forgiveness.

When we are wronged, and it WILL happen, we are to forgive to the same extent that we have been forgiven.  In fact, we are to go the extra mile in our forgiveness of others.  That is not an easy requirement, but it is the will of God for our lives, and it is the only attitude that pleases God.

The key is to return "good for evil." (Romans 12:17-21; Matthew 5:44-48)

How could Joseph forgive his brothers like he did?  Joseph could forgive because...

• He could see the hand of God in everything that happened to him.
• He knew that God was behind every disruption in his life.
• He knew that even his brothers sins against him were part of God's plan for his life.

If you and I are going to get past the hurts we experience, we must adopt the same attitude.  If something takes place in your life or mine, it does so only because God gave it PERMISSION to occur.  He is behind every single event that takes place, even the HURTS we experience.  

If He has allowed it...then He will use it for my good and His glory in His time.  My responsibility is to accept the things that come my way and trust Him to work out His will through it.  If I can see His hand in the hurts I experience, it will make the hurt easier to bear.