Daily Reflections: Your Wilderness Experience (1) – Hubert Ndu Eke

Your Wilderness Experience (1)

September 1, 2015
‘…and as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result…’ Gen. 50:19-21
In the story of Joseph, we see clearly a teenager of interest to God. God wanted Israel saved from a future intense world famine, so He orchestrates this whole movie in the little boy’s life. Sometimes God does not interfere with nature’s phases or perhaps he even orchestrates them. He starts by choosing this teenage boy and giving him two memorable, jealousy-causing, hatred-arousing future dreams and causes him to tell them to his brothers and father. Hmm! Isn’t that interesting? You see, like Joseph, God has given you and me two dreams (past & future) to tell…

1. The gospel of His son’s death, burial & resurrection and
2. His son’s soon coming

How much are we sharing? Have you gotten entirely administrative? You know what I mean.
To be certain, God is the hero of the story. The Bible is the story of God (not me, you, or Joseph) and his nature and character. God gave us this story to point to Him. God is in control of everything in our seen world and the unseen world. In the story, it doesn’t feel as though God loves Joseph. Isn’t it?

In your own story on earth so far, some events do seem as though God doesn’t love you either. Right? Step back and SEE what God is doing. What is God teaching me about Himself? What are God’s intentions in my affairs? Your affairs?

1. His dreams: The scandal of God’s word brought tension to Joseph’s life. His dreams were scandalous to his brothers and even to his father. God gave it to him to share. Surely he knew it would bring trouble for him. God didn’t reveal part of his plan to Joseph. Don’t soften what God gave you to share. I can’t soften what God said for me to share. Share God’s truth, not your own truth.

Even when he was hated, God was in control. This tension shadows the truth about all followers of Christ.  Suffering for the gospel may not be fair. But didn’t “fair” end on the cross? Do you still experience the tension that comes from sharing God’s dreams to friends, family and strangers? If you have stopped sharing, get faith from God’s word and like me, start all over again. That’s what we are called to do. Right?
My good friend, just for a moment, think about the guts to show the blood and the robe to their aged father. What does this show about the eleven brothers? You read it. Genesis 37:31-33. What robe and blood do you show our ancient of days? What rich excuses do we give him?

2. Submitting to God’s plan that you know and see is the beginning of real joy. This joy is from God himself. The knowledge of Him. God was setting things up to achieve his plan for Israel through Joseph… His own way. What wilderness are you called to submit to? Romans 8:28. Disappointments, murderous plots, separated family, child not doing well spiritually and/in school, child dropping out of school, mistreatment in business,  unceasing temptations, pressure from materialism, false accusations, imprisonment,  seems like God has forgotten you exist, pressure to continue to be like Jesus in a corrupt convoluted world? Joseph was called to these and more. If we allow Jesus in the story, the end of the story is amazingly predictable in His own way. May end in your physical death, though! God’s good purpose triumphs over man’s evil intentions.
3. Endurance and patience and thinking about God’s big picture are required to come out faithfully at the end. The Bible should not be looked at as, “do good, get blessed book”…
   Genesis 50:20: “but God”, are the greatest words in the bible.

Pray for our President, that God may keep Him safe and grant Him loads of courage.

Good morning. It’s a great day!

Hubert Ndu Eke