Today's Passage: Genesis 42

Every restored relationship starts with the re-establishment of trust. This is certainly not easy. Someone has to be willing to take the risk of trusting the outcome will be different this time.

In today's chapter, Jacob sends his sons to Egypt to buy grain during the famine. He refuses to send Benjamin for fear something will happen to him as it happened to Joseph. It would seem that Jacob had a trust problem with his older sons. Perhaps he suspected he had never heard the whole story of what happened to Joseph.

Upon arrival Joseph recognizes his brothers and proceeds to do what might seem like "messing with their minds". They do not recognize him, and he speaks harshly to them, calling them spies. He keeps Simeon in prison and sends the rest of them home to bring Benjamin back, and secretly puts their money back in their sacks.  Joseph clearly wants to reunite with his brothers, but he must first test them to see if they have experienced any remorse for what they had done to him or repented from their attitude he had known before.

It is apparent that the Lord has orchestrated these events and creates a situation where trust is pretty much the only option. How often do we pray to trust Him more but fail to seek Him as soon as we are feeling self-sufficient?

The Lord would not ask us to enter into or continue an abusive relationship, but He is all about restoration of impossibly broken relationships. Nothing is too hard for Him if we are willing to trust. If you have one of those in your life today, ask Him for strength to stand firm to His boundaries yet extend trust to allow Him to do what only He can do.