September 9th - Reflection

Acts 7:9-16 (NRSV)
Joseph's family is fed in Egypt
"The patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him, and rescued him from all his afflictions, and enabled him to win favor and to show wisdom when he stood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who appointed him ruler over Egypt and over all his household. Now there came a famine throughout Egypt and Canaan, and great suffering, and our ancestors could find no food. But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our ancestors there on their first visit. On the second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph's family became known to Pharaoh. Then Joseph sent and invited his father Jacob and all his relatives to come to him, seventy five in all; so Jacob went down to Egypt. He himself died there as well as our ancestors, and their bodies were brought back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

Reflection
"...but God was with him.." God was with Joseph. Joseph's brothers intended to do harm to him and sold him into Egypt. God made good out of it. The sin was turned around to good by God. The brothers were eventually reconciled and Joseph was able to see his father, Jacob, once again.

The evil of a famine was turned around for good. We suffer pain on so many levels. Pain not caused by God. Pain caused by a wounded and falling world due to our sin and the destruction it brings along with it. Our selfish actions for material goods leads to destruction of natural resources which lead to this then that and on until the chain is broken and damaged and we have famine. Not famine caused by God, but famine as a result of nature and nature as a result of our selfishness. But God makes good out of all this. A family and a race of people is saved. A people from which will come our Savior, Jesus, who comes to defeat sin and death and turn around the negative destructive events we are causing by our fall from sin.

The story continues in you and me. We can tell the gospel or we can continue in our destructive actions. Actually we will do both. But we will live with and within the people and world and place God has set us to point to the Savior Jesus who has an answer for all of this. Thanks be to God! Jesus is our Savior...just look around and see...just wait and see the glory to come.

Prayer
Lord, curb my selfish desire to consume beyond control. Send me to build and restore creation with the love and passion you created it. Recreate and renew in me a new heart as I follow you... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen