Slacking for Good

September 28, 2006

Lar,
What’s up with our slacking brother? Actually, you might have an excuse. You are a little under the weather. But hey, this is blog nation here. I’m not going to let us drop the ball completely! So here’s a little somethin somethin.

I’m in Genesis right now (along with a few others books). I read Genesis 37-39 this morning and was struck by Joseph’s sharing his dreams with his brothers. You remember Joseph telling his ‘not so nice’ brothers his dreams right? Here he is, the favorite, spoiled one, telling his brothers that he had a dream that their sheaves gathered around him and bowed down to his. Naturally, his brothers hated this and despised him all the more. But what is amazing is that when he has another dream that points to the same reality, he shares it again. “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven starts were bowing down to me” (Genesis 37:9). This even fired up his father a bit as well.

I had to ask myself, “What in the world was he thinking?” As far as I can tell, there are only a few options: either he was really dull or really arrogant. There might be another, but I think a combination of the two could be probable. He must have known that although he was the favorite of his father, he wasn’t the favorite of his brothers. That had to be at least somewhat clear. So why would he share such dreams? In my opinion, he was probably just insecure (which is rooted in pride of course). Here’s this little 17 year old kid, who probably got picked on most his life trying to tell his brothers what’s up right? Not the wisest of moves. For as we know, the response of his brothers was to sell him off into slavery in exchange for 20 silver shekels.

It’s a good lesson to check our pride at the door and to face our insecurities whatever they might be. But that was not the main thing that struck me while reading this story. What hit me most was the fact that God uses this stupid move by Joseph to fulfill those dreams! That is amazing isn’t it? Joseph gets a little dull and arrogant and shares these two God-given dreams with his brothers. And in the wisdom of God, the Lord uses that not so smart move to make those dreams come to pass. Without the dreams, would they ever have hated Joseph enough to send him into slavery? Maybe not. And without that wicked act, Joseph wouldn’t have reigned, and the chosen people of God may have perished.

The Lord is awesome isn’t He? I mean, of course He is, but it is surely a delight to see it in the Scriptures day after day. And it is glorious to know that as children of God, the Lord is using even our dumb moves for our good and His glory. Romans 8:28 says “all” and means “all.” This includes our foolish mistakes (and our slacking) right? I think so. Don’t get me wrong, this doesn’t mean I am going to try to be more foolish. That’s folly in and of itself. It just means that I can take comfort when I err, that my good and gracious God is working all things according to the counsel of His will.

I can’t wait to go to heaven and see the big picture of so many ‘minor circumstances’ that turned out to be quite major. It will take milleniums to search out the sovereign wisdom of God in our own live, let alone the whole of human history. It will truly be a joy!

Alright, catch you soon brother.
Beholding our good and sovereign God with you,
Joe

Posted by Joe | Filed Under Scripture Meditation