January 16th

Genesis 42:1-45:15

Joseph was reunited with his brothers, after many years of separation, a day that had to have been very difficult for Joseph to bear. But, after he took measures to test his brothers, he revealed himself to them, finding them changed, repentant, and willing to sacrifice their own lives for the life of their younger brother, Benjamin.

This change moved Joseph to forgive his brothers for their evil against him. What struck me most about this wonderful reunion was Joseph’s perspective of the whole thing. He could have recognized this turn of events as coincidence, as chance, or as good luck, but instead he recognized that God was sovereign over all these things, and that He had worked all of this for His good purposes.

He commented several times that “God sent me ahead of you to preserve your lives” (45:5), and “God has sent me here to keep you and your families alive” (45:7), and, “It was God who sent me here, not you” (45:8).

In essence, Joseph believed in providence,
the truth that God sees time before it happens and provides in advance to bring about events exactly the way that He wants. Noah Webster defined providence as “active foresight,” not only knowing what happens beforehand but bringing it about in such a way as to meet His purposes (1828 Dictionary).

The Lord is the Alpha and Omega. He is the Beginning and the End, and He knows, plans, and executes every detail in between (Isaiah 46:9- 11). Since God is sovereign, ruling all things in His universe, then no detail is outside of His view or control; and, since that is true and we know He is intentional with all that He does, then there can be no such thing as accident, coincidence, chance, or happenstance.

Daily Reflection

Are you more prone to view life’s events as coincidence or as providence? How would each of these perspectives affect how you live?

BiAY.org Day 16 — 349 Days to Go