Acceptance: The Master's Plan
"I do not hold a grudge against you.
It was not you who sold me into slavery. YHVH Planned all of this, and you were merely His agents, carrying out
His design." Genesis 50:20
I have always been impressed with the Biblical story of Joseph - how his jealous brothers
sold him into slavery, then dipped his coat into goat's blood and led their father to believe that he was killed
by a wild beast. Jacob grieved bitterly over the loss of his favorite son, who eventually rose to become viceroy of
Egypt, and then revealed his identity to his brothers.
What was Jacob's reaction when he found out that his sons sold their brother into slavery, then led him
to believe he was killed, causing him to agonize with grief for twenty-two years?
Since Jacob blessed his sons prior to his death, it is clear that he had forgiven them and loved them in spite
of their atrocity. This could only be because he agreed with Joseph's explanation, that the brothers were but YHVH
instruments to carry out His Plan to make Joseph viceroy of the mightiest empire in the world and save Israel.
YHVH has a Divine Plan for each and every one of us - things are really not as chaotic
as they may seem. We can learn to trust YHVH even though we cannot always comprehend why He allows some terrible
things to happen.
Acceptance is not easy. If it were, there would not be any need for us to pray for the strength to accept
adversity. But although acceptance is difficult, the trust that there is a purpose to everything makes it possible for us
to 'go on to perfection'.
