Genesis 45:5-8 – “Now, do not be upset and do not be angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me ahead of you to preserve life! ^{6 For these past two years, there has been famine in the land, and for five more years, the}re will be neither plowing nor harvesting. ⁷ God sent me ahead of you to preserve you on the earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. ⁸ So now, it is not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me an adviser to Pharaoh, lord over all his household, and ruler over all the land of Egypt.”

As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God today, something caught my eye in the story of Joseph.   I saw a New Testament principle lived out in real time. It was encouraging.   

We know the story, but what gripped me was God’s example of Romans 8:28 demonstrated in Joseph.  Remember his battles, victories, setbacks, victories, and the repeating of the process over and over. Then, in Genesis 45, as he reveals his identity to his terrified brothers, he says something that theologians argue over.

Genesis 45:5-8. Joseph told them, “Don’t be too hard on yourself for your sin against me. God had a plan.”  Remember that from Romans 8:28?  “All things work TOGETHER for good to those who love God and are called to do His purposes.”   He didn’t absolve them of their guilt or ignore what he had endured, but recognized the eternal principle that God is focused on the finished product more than the process.  The individual parts are tools and steps to the completion.

• We focus on the parts; God focuses on the finish. 
• We focus on the now; God focuses on the then.
• We focus on the present pain. God focuses on the eternal joy that comes.
  
  We need a shift in focus to be victorious!

1 Timothy 6:6-9 gives us a key.  Man seeks what he deems success and never discovers true wealth. He lacks contentment. Joseph learned contentment because he trusted God completely. Paul learned contentment because he trusted God completely. We either trust God completely and learn contentment, or we strive, struggle, and fantasize, making riches the key to our service.

1 Timothy 4:12 offers qualities to seek and develop that will keep us on track and help us learn contentment.  We focus on our hearts, guarding what we say, how we live, love, and faith, and become examples of true believers.

We are rich in Jesus! Let’s learn to see the puzzle as a whole rather than each piece.   There is peace in rest!