Believe it to receive it! — Scripture Reflection #079

Genesis 50:18-20 (New Living Translation)

18 Then his brothers came and threw themselves down before Joseph. “Look, we are your slaves!” they said. 
19 But Joseph replied, “Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.

In this passage, we see that Joseph’s brothers did not believe that Joseph truly forgave them for betraying him when they were younger. After the boys’ father, Israel, died, they threw themselves down before Joseph, begging him to spare them. They thought that Joseph was playing nice for their father’s sake, and that with the first chance he got, Joseph would get back at them for what they did to him. The sad thing is, Joseph had already forgiven them and had expressed this by accepting and honoring them when they came to live in Egypt. Unfortunately, because they did not believe that Joseph had already fully forgiven them, they lived in fear for almost 20 years! 

Here’s the point: had Joseph’s brothers accepted and believed that they were forgiven, they would have lived in freedom from fear all that time. Similarly, there are many sins and failures in our lives that we hold on to, refusing to believe that we can be forgiven or that we deserve to be forgiven. We might think that because of what we did, we should live with that shame and fear as rightful punishment. It feels like it is right. 

However, I am writing here today to tell you that that is a lie from the enemy. God has forgiven you for any past mistakes, failures, and sins you have committed because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. You are not to live in shame or fear any longer. You are free! 

But it is up to you to accept and believe this. God can turn anything around if you let Him. You have to believe it to receive it!