Revenge or not?

Revenge - or not?

 

Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. Gen. 37:5

We go through life and we take care of our business. We have dreams and aspirations and ideas on how to become someone, right?

What if all this, life itself turns into a big mess? What then? Joseph had a dream, he didn't hold back on sharing this dream with his brothers. They hated him for it. They developed anger and disgust toward Joseph for having the audacity to proclaim all the great things Joseph would accomplish in his lifetime.

Does that sound familiar?

Today, I am skipping forward. Writing about God's ways to take us from taking care of our business through suffering like hell, sometimes..... to the ways of God in restoration of lost moments in time and lost relationships.

Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. Rom 12:19

Revenge: the act of revenging; retaliation for injuries or wrongs; vengeance

Retaliation for injuries or wrongs.....in other words, giving back the pain, loss and suffering to the one who has caused it on us.

Joseph as other men, has suffered tremendously. There came a time when his family, his brothers who have afflicted him, appeared in front of him. After he had been separated from them for years. Egypt was a place for Joseph to right a wrong, done to him by his family. Not in the sense we perceive to make a wrong right. But in God's ways.

Joseph's family was in dire straights, begging Joseph (Egypt) whom they did not recognize, for help. Joseph saw his family and I can only imagine how he must have felt like.
Anger, maybe even rage rising up in his mind. All these years of hellish sufferings going through Joseph's mind. Maybe even thinking of some cruel punishment toward his brothers.
Well, Joseph was second in command in Egypt and it would have been easy for him to afflict punishment on his family members. It must have been agonizing to look at them and very tempting.

Yet what does Joseph do? After a while of contemplating, I am sure, he actually does embrace them. That surely is not the way this world wants to make us encounter people who have done us wrong. But it is God's way for us to forgive each other and continue to live peaceably.

In reality, it does not always work out this way. We know that even in scripture many have died for their wrong doing. God has allowed many to be punished by death. That does not mean it is God's first choice of handling conflict. He sees our hearts and He alone knows our intent. That is how He judges us.

Coming back to Joseph. Because Joseph stepped into God's grace and forgiveness toward his family (made a decision), many have found life at that moment. Joseph was reunited with his family and God received the Glory for His great and wonderful love and plan for us.

Let's make room for God to avenge. Period.

So long, sending you a prayer of courage to forgive. AMEN