Do Let Go

  We all have been betrayed. Let down by those we have loved. Dismissed by those we struggled for. Forgotten by the ones that should have cared about us most.  The boss tells you that despite your hard work, jumping thought every hoop and bending over backwards to please him, he doesn't think your performance is good enough and is letting you.  You know that it was but you also know it doesn't matter.  The girlfriend that tells you that she doesn't think “we right together anymore”, that all the time and attention you gave wasn't enough.  You suspect there is another man but it doesn't keep you from hurting.  The friend that was once a confidant, a kindred spirit, someone you would have given your life for, has told your greatest secret, turned against you, and abandoned you when you needed them most.  You want to strike back hurt them like they hurt you but you know it not the right thing to do.  It is hard to deal with that kind of betrayal.  Even after a long period of time, the wounds never seem to completely heal.  If you had your chance to get back at them, what would you do?

  Joseph was faced with that exact situation in Genesis 42.  The brothers that had seized him, ripped off his prized position, threw him into a pit, planned to kill him but eventually sold him as a slave were now standing before him asking for his aid. The year’s since their betrayal had led to many unusually events, as a slave, prisoner and ruler of Egypt, had made him unrecognizable to his brothers.  They had no idea the difficult life they had made for him by their betrayal.  The false accusation, the imprisonment, over and over making the most of a bad situation climbing to the top, only to be knocked down and  betrayed again and again.  Now he could decide their fate, he could give them as much trouble as they had given him.

  At first you see a man with a scheme, show them what it is like to be accused of something you are not, make them overcome his crazy demand, feel the pressure he must have faced in his difficult times. But then you see something else, a man that wants to meet the only brother that didn't betray him, to see the father that loved him so. Five times we see him breaking down in tears(Genesis 43:30; 45:2, 14-15; 50:17). Eventually we see Joseph gain an important understanding. In Genesis 50:20, He tells his brother, "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive”.

   It is hard to let go of the pain someone has caused you.  It hurts; we want revenge, to see them suffer. Even if they get their comeuppance, it won’t satisfy you. Rather than take the low road of revenge, we need to gain the perspective of Joseph.  Even if the worst betrayals, God can make something good happen.  We can grow wiser, stronger, and closer to him.  Those times of suffering build endurance (James 1:3). We gain a new perceptive on Christ and his sacrifice.  We find new challenges, move on to better things. Don’t hold on the pain, let go and see what good God can do.