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Daily Devotionals
Voice of the Lord
You meant to do me harm, but God meant it for good—so that it would come about as it is today, with many people's lives being saved (Genesis 50:20).
The Talmud (Ta'anit 21a) tells the story of Nachum who "was blind in both of his eyes, his two hands and legs were amputated, and his whole body was covered with boils and he was lying in a dilapidated house on a bed, the feet of which were standing in bowls of water in order to prevent the ants from crawling on him." In the midst of all this suffering, Nachum would say, "This also is for the best" (Gam zu letovah). Therefore, he was given the nickname "the Gamzu Man" (Ish Gamzu).
Yosef (Joseph) was very much like Nachum. In the midst of his suffering, he trusted in God. Yosef knew that God was in charge of all things, and was able to see the bigger plan. He would not let himself get bogged down in retribution, bitterness, harshness or the dark side of God's plan. Thrown into a pit, sold into slavery, imprisoned unjustly, Yosef could have become very bitter. But God showed him the larger picture. Nachum came to the same conclusion. How about you?
...look at the bigger picture and remember that the Lord is ultimately in charge of my life.
JR
The Voice of the Lord, Copyright © 1998 by the Lewis and Harriet Lederer Foundation, Inc. Published by Messianic Jewish Publishers, Distributed by Messianic Jewish Resources, www.messianicjewish.net. All rights reserved. Used by permission. No part of this article may be reproduced in print or on the web, or transmitted in any form, without the written permission of the publisher.
