Bible reading: Genesis 44 & 45.
“Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.” – Genesis 45:5 (KJV)
Joseph had been mistreated and abused by his brothers. He was unjustly accused and punished for something he didn’t do.
He was forgotten by someone he had done a favor for. And yet He was able to forgive his brothers.
It was not easy, and it is not easy for many people to forgive. Some of us have been hurt so much and so badly that forgiveness seems so hard and without the help of God you wouldn’t be able to do that.
When we withhold forgiveness from someone, we do not only hurt the other person, we hurt ourselves more and our relationship with God.
Unforgiveness is like a chain around your soul. But this chain you can break with the help of God. Joseph forgave and forgot the ill treatment he received from his brothers. You can never move on to healing and reconciliation when you are a slave to the past. You can never move on to the depth of relationship and enjoyment of Christ that is possible and that He wants for you if you are chained to the past in Unforgiveness.
Joseph was a type of our saviour Jesus Christ, who forgave all our sins, even when it was not certain if we will come back to him. The scripture said that while we were yet sinners He died for us, for our sin, for the Salvation of our soul. It is therefore most important that we forgive. To properly understand this benefit we must realize that we were lost but got saved by Jesus Christ from the wrath of God.
The real test of forgiveness for us is not when things are going great in our relationship with someone. The real test comes when the betrayal happens, when the false accusation comes, when abandonment takes place. It is then that we enter the crucible of obedience of either allowing the flesh to be in charge and will retaliate, or allowing Christ in us to be in charge to forgive. So difficult it may look, but there is this Joy unspeakable and peace of mind we experience when we forgive someone.
My hope is that if you are finding yourself holding something against someone, you will find freedom to forgive, and you will experience healing for the hurt that have been inflicted on you by someone.
Prayer: Father, help me to forgive all that have hurt me, that I may begin to experience such peace and joy unspeakable in you.