A Time of Testing & Confession

1/11/2008 10:33 AM

SPIRITUAL DIARY

My Worship Time                  Focus:  A time of testing, confession

Bible Reading & Meditation             Reference:  Genesis 42:21-24

            Message of the verses:  “21 ¶  Then they said to one another, "Truly we are guilty concerning our brother, because we saw the distress of his soul when he pleaded with us, yet we would not listen; therefore this distress has come upon us."  22  Reuben answered them, saying, "Did I not tell you, ‘Do not sin against the boy’; and you would not listen? Now comes the reckoning for his blood."  23  They did not know, however, that Joseph understood, for there was an interpreter between them.  24  He turned away from them and wept. But when he returned to them and spoke to them, he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes.”

            As this story unfolds I find myself wondering about some of the things that happen, and this section is one of them.  The question that I have is was Joseph putting himself in the place of God, but more likely he was obeying the promptings that he was getting from God.  It was important that Joseph see that his brothers repent of their sins, for their own good, and also so that when the time came for all of them to move down to Egypt that there would not be sins that were not confessed to God and the family would thus be turned into the nation that God had desired for them. 

            The process of confession had begun in the hearts of these men and this made Joseph weep when he heard them talking about it. 

            I would like at this time to quote something from Dr. Wiersbe’s book about these verses:  “Joseph was certainly kind to his brothers in spite of the severity of his speech and some of his actions, and what he did was for their good.  His motivation was love and his purpose was to bring them to repentance and reconciliation.  We need to remember this the next time we think God is treating us unjustly.”

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I am thankful to God for the timing of my reading and studying this story of Joseph.  God knows what it is that is going on in my heart better than I do and because of His great love, grace, and mercy, He gives me what I need at the perfect time.  This is unlike me who seems to always be in a hurry, never stopping to smell the roses and gleam all of the truth from a certain situation, but always looking for change because that seems to be a better thing than what I am leaving.  I would pray that God would use this time of fasting to correct these mistakes and that I would go through this process of real confession, repentance and reconciliation that just as my physical body is being cleansed from the toxins that have acuminated over time, my spiritual body would do this also.  I would pray that the Holy Spirit would fill me and teach me the things that I need to learn while on this fast, be it just a water fast or when I move on to a juice fast, may it all be done for the glory of God. 

            “  23  Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; 24  And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.”

My Steps of Faith for Today:  I want to have my heart open to the Holy Spirit as He teaches me the things that He wants me to learn, and that I would be very willing to learn them.