Page 26 - Living Light 90

PRAYER FOR TODAY
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Friday September 26 - Integrity/substitution
Then Judah said: “Pardon your servant, my lord... Do not be angry with your servant, though you are equal to Pharaoh himself.” Genesis 44:18
Many years before, Judah, along with his brothers, and indeed his father, had doubted the claims of the young Joseph that one day he would be in charge and they would bow down to him. It is true that Joseph was indiscreet in the way he presented his dreams to his siblings. But it is equally true that doubting this revelation brought great trouble on all his family – slavery and false imprisonment for Joseph, endless grief for his father, and the brothers now fearing they are in deadly peril.
Now, although he doesn’t realise it, Judah acknowledges that Joseph’s dream has become reality: “You are equal to Pharaoh.” It isn’t always right to accept someone’s claim that God has spoken to them, whether through dreams, or scripture or a direct word. But it is always right to listen carefully and seek, with other mature Christians, to discern what God may be saying.
The brothers couldn’t do this because their jealousy hindered them. If we are going to understand what God may want to say to us through other people, we need to keep pure hearts – that is hearts free from anger, jealousy, resentment or bitterness. Like Judah, when eventually God may face us with the truth of his word, we do well to recognise it and then we can move on.
Lord Jesus, cleanse our hearts and minds so that we can learn to hear your messages to us and obey you. Amen.
Saturday September 27 - Learning through living
“How can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? No! Do not let me see the misery that would come on my father.” Genesis 44:34
As a young man, Judah callously arranged for Joseph to be sold as a slave and was complicit in the plan to trick their father into believing that Joseph had been killed by a wild animal. What he hadn’t reckoned with was seeing the impact of the grief of Joseph’s ‘death’ on his father for the next 20 years or more, nor the pain and guilt of not being able to share the truth with his father.
Now faced with the possibility that Benjamin would be kept as a prisoner in Egypt and that he, Judah, would have to return to tell his father he exclaims, “Do not let me see the misery that would come on my father.” Over the years he had faced a daily choice – harden your heart against your father and escape the pain, or accept the pain and bear the guilt.
Clearly he chose the latter path and in the process has become a better person – to such an extent that he is now prepared to sacrifice himself, by offering to be a substitute for Benjamin and become a prisoner and slave to Joseph.
Being honest with ourselves, not crushing our capacity to feel other people’s pain, and learning to help other people, even if it costs us a lot, can help each of us become a better person.
Lord Jesus, you learnt through the things you suffered. Please work with us so that through our sorrow and mistakes you can make us better people. Amen.
PRAYER FOR TODAY