He Lives! We Live!

Genesis 45-46

Joseph lives!  Gone from his family, thought dead for so long, Joseph finally reveals himself to his family as the one whom God sent to save Egypt, to save them, from the famine.  Joseph tells them not to be worried, not to be angry with themselves for having sold him into slavery because God had used those things to send him to Egypt to work good for the land, for the people.  Go and get my father, he tells his brothers.  Bring him down with the whole family that nothing will be lost to the family in the famine. 

As I've had the opportunity lately to drive through the Upper Peninsula of Michigan a couple of times, I noticed that small businesses that have existed for decades are now closed down - many in foreclosure.  Driving up the hill in L'Anse the other day, I noticed all the for sale signs on the homes.  Some of those signs say the homes are for sale by the bank.  Times are pretty hard here in Baraga County for many people.  The last unemployment statistics I could find were for June - unemployment was at 26% in the county, the third highest in the nation.  Many small family businesses can no longer afford the taxes or the insurance (including the unemployment insurance) that is required to keep running.  They simply cannot afford to hire any more people to help them in their businesses.  Many people have had to pack up their families and their belongings and travel to other places in search of work so that they might support themselves and their families.  Unfortunately, the rest of the country is not so far behind us in their lack of job opportunities and many of them won't find work. 

I don't know what the answers are to these difficult times (actually I think I do, but I'll keep politics out of this blog...).  I don't know the answers, but God does. We can be assured that God has a plan.  Although, we might feel as though this world is dying for awhile.  Remember, that everyone thought Joseph was dead, yet by the providence of God, he lived and was brought to prosperity.  And not just he, but those around him as well.

Resurrected life through tough times, through death, is not an uncommon theme in the Bible.  It is after all the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that is the constant reminder to us, that even though we die, we shall live, even as he lives. 

It might feel like you're dying, the world is dying.  Yet, God in Christ Jesus gives us hope.  It might take some tough times to get us through these difficult days.  It might take some eye-opening experiences, might even take death.  It might take some drastic changes in the world around.  But, in the end we know that we shall live.  God has a plan for his people and it is good.  It just might take some journeying in the wilderness, through some dark places in order to see the light in order to recognize life.