Thursday, March 4
O God, why do you cast us off forever? Why does your anger smoke against the sheep of your pasture? (Ps. 74)
In the passage from Genesis assigned for today we read a small snippet of the story of Joseph, his father, and his brothers. Today’s little scene is ominous indeed. The brothers have just returned from Egypt where they have purchased grain from Joseph, not recognizing him to be the brother they had sold into slavery many years before. They have been accused of being spies, one of the brothers remains behind as a hostage, and now they find that the money they paid for the grain has mysteriously reappeared in their grain sacks. Their father fears the worst, the loss of two, perhaps three sons before this is all over. Not for a moment are any of them able to see that this is but a tiny part of God’s greater plan leading to a glorious ending.
And so it is so often with us. Aren’t we sometimes too quick to panic when our plans go awry? Maybe we go along trying to figure out and follow God’s plan for us until it gets to a part that’s a little scary and then we think, “Well, I don’t know, maybe my plan is better.” Just how much do we trust in God anyway? At the first sign of trouble are inclined to pray like the psalmist of Psalm 74: “O God why do you cast us off forever?” Perhaps we would be better served in difficult times to look instead to the words of Psalm 71:
In you, O Lord, I take my refuge; let me never be put to shame.
In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;
Incline to me and save me.
Be to me a rock of refuge; a strong fortress to save me,
For you are my rock and my fortress.
Bob Lowe