GOD'S LRMP*

BIBLE BITES

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GOD'S LRMP*

"Okay - what's going on? I know the Lord is in control. He directs the wind. He sends the showers. I even know the heart of the king is in the hand of the Lord and just like the twists and turns of a river, the Lord is able to direct the heart of a mighty king. (Proverbs 21:1)  But can there be any meaningful purpose in this latest development in my life?"

We read very little about Joseph's feelings as his brothers stripped him of his clothes and threw him into a pit to later be sold to strangers. Was he so spiritual and so in touch with God, that he just peacefully smiled and calmly let it all happen - knowing that God was in control? No!  His brother Reuben provides us with a glimpse into the trauma of the drama of Joseph being thrown into a pit and then later sold. Reuben said: ".We saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us and we did not listen." Genesis 42:21

The distress Joseph experienced was not self-inflicted anguish - over something wrong he had done. There is a difference between self-inflicted distress and heaven-sent trials. We do reap what we sow and there are consequences for our choices. We only have ourselves to blame for that type of anguish.

Joseph arrives in Egypt no longer recognized as a favored son. Just an unknown slave now. As the caravan stopped and the handcuffed Joseph stepped down on to foreign soil, was his face glowing with the knowledge that in years to come he would be the Prime Minister of Egypt? I doubt it.  It was a trial for him. Although he had dreams earlier that may have encouraged him, he probably experienced many of the same emotions and fears that we experience in a trial. 

Apart from the teen dreams he had, Joseph never got a glance at God's LRMP*. Here's what kept him going:

 In Potiphar's house.

"The Lord was with Joseph."

Genesis 39:2

In the dungeon-like prison.

"The Lord was with Joseph."

Genesis39:21

You may not know what God is doing with you. You probably cannot imagine how anything good could eventually come out of all of this, but understand:  the Lord is with you in this trial.  Don't miss His presence with you today. This is a critical time in your life. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. James 4:8

Years later Joseph was able to say to his brothers:  "Please come near to me. I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. Do not be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. And God sent me before you to save your lives by a great deliverance...he kissed all his brothers..." Genesis 45:4,5,7,15

When Joseph's world was turned upside down at the start, maybe it seemed like things were spiraling out of control and that all his aspirations and hopes were being dashed. But through it all, he experienced the sweet presence of the Lord. In retrospect, He could tell his brothers how it all fit into God's LRMP*. There was a Divine Purpose in all that was allowed to happen in his life. It is usually in retrospect that we can connect the dots.

God still has purposes and plans today. He is a God not only of Purpose, but a God who achieves His Purposes. You are looking at the mass and mess of threads on the underside of the tapestry. On the top side, God sees His handiwork progressing. Trust Him.

*Long Range Master Plan

Walk carefully and closely with the Lord today,

Warmly in Christ,

Peter Ramsay