And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God?
Fear to be Judged
When we changed our residence, I had a fear of meeting new people. But where is this fear coming from? I reflected on it and thought that it is rooted in Satan, the Accuser. Subconsciously, we want people to like us. However, we know that people tend to judge others. And that is the flesh that provokes us to do things contrary to the godly attitudes we should be practicing. We are oftentimes like Joseph’s brothers, we want to please people who we have wronged before or give the best first impressions to those who we have not met yet.
In the case of Joseph’s brothers, they were afraid that Joseph will take revenge for what they have done. Moreover, they know that with Joseph’s position they can be easily judged and persecuted for their wrongdoings. However, Joseph did not use his position to take leverage against his brothers. He knew that God is the ultimate judge to enforce justice among men. Furthermore, Joseph acknowledged that his brothers committed an error and said to them ”as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today” (v. 20 ESV). Let this verse remind us not to assume the position of God as a judge to others. But when we give feedback let it be based on the words of our Judge in heaven.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, holy is your name. We thank you for sending your Son, Jesus Christ, to save us from the wrath of your judgement. O, Lord, we give you thanks for the salvation you have granted unto us. May the Holy Spirit guide us in our walk with you. Use us to share the Good News to others that they too will rejoice in the gift of eternal life. We pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen.
