Genesis 45:16-20
When the report was heard in Pharaoh’s house, ‘Joseph’s brothers have come’, Pharaoh and his servants were pleased. Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘Say to your brothers, “Do this: load your animals and go back to the land of Canaan. Take your father and your households and come to me, so that I may give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you may enjoy the fat of the land.” You are further charged to say, “Do this: take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. Give no thought to your possessions, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.” ’
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Forgiveness and grace are powerful things. Each of us has things in our past that we regret. We'd love to invent a time machine, go back and do things differently. We wonder what on God's green earth we were ever thinking....
But when we confess these things, when we lay them down before God and before others, we often find unexpected grace, rich forgiveness, and we discover that God will take those things and turn them into something good. God's love is bigger, more powerful than we can ever imagine. We expect a vindictive God, but the reality is a God whose arms are open wide--on the cross God displays the fullness of his love, and we are fools if we choose to carry our burdens ourselves, rather than casting ourselves upon the wealth of his love.
So may we lead a life of active confession, both to God and those whom we have wronged, and may we trust God to transform us, little by little, into a people of grace and love.
Blessings
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