"And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan unto Jacob their father,
And told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt. And Jacob’s heart fainted, for he believed them not.
And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them: and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived:
And Israel said, It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die."
Genesis 45:25-28
I love the last line where Jacob/Israel finally believes, and decides to go see his son before he dies. It's kind of like the story of Job, where everything gets taken away, and then restored... but better, because Joseph didn't die as he thought, but he is able to see him not just in the afterlife, but in the present. And everyone can see the truth at the end of the story... there is no question of Joseph's rulership anymore. No resentment from his brothers. Just understanding and forgiveness and the acknowledgment of the hand of the Lord.
Today, let's learn from this. Let's let the past be the past, and understand that God has taken us where we are for a reason. Let's let go of bitterness and see the underlying truth that God is in charge of all of it, and he blesses us with opportunities and relationships that we would never have without the good and the bad in our lives. Let's see the lessons and the hardships as a learning experience, and grow from there, and trust that God will bring us through all of it, just as with Joseph and with Jacob, if we trust him and follow him with all our hearts. And yeah, historically, this also set up a rough situation for the family's descendants, but they also, in turn, had their chance at their own happy endings as well... and on all the way to us. Let's not just believe IN God, but let's believe his teachings and his promises as well. As we do, he will lead us to happiness, now and later.
