Gracious in Victory

      How difficult it is to be gracious as we are going through trials. Sometimes it is even more difficult to be gracious when we have become successful. Joseph provides us with a good model of someone who did both. Despite the fact that he was imprisoned, he managed to encourage the ministers of Pharaoh. This week we see Joseph on top of the world—he is second in command in Egypt. How will he act now that he is successful? Will he become arrogant, proud, and vindictive?

      At first glance, Joseph seems to be playing cat-and-mouse with his brothers. They rejected him; threw him into a dry pit; sold him into slavery—now is his chance to make them pay and "By George, they will pay." Joseph seems to make his brothers lives miserable and even makes his father's life difficult. 

      Yet, we need to look more closely. When Joseph is left alone in the company of his brothers, he bursts out weeping, so loudly that everyone outside could hear him. He admonishes his brothers not to be angry with themselves for their cruelty to him. His perspective on what they did to him: "G‑d sent me ahead of you, to prepare the way for you. . .You intended it for evil but G‑d intended it for good, in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many lives," (Genesis 45: 5,7,8; 50:20). Apparently what Joseph was doing before was to put on a tough act so that his brothers would be forced to re-think (and hopefully, repent) what they did to him. 

            How do we react in similar circumstances? If we have the strong conviction that our lives are controlled by the L‑rd, we will be much more likely to forgive and extend grace. Let us live under the umbrella of the L‑rd's sovereignty and act accordingly.