Innocent People Suffer

"God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors."  Gen. 45:7 

Joseph realized that God had stretched him, had positioned him, and refined him for this time.  It reminds me of the quote from sermon yesterday:  "Innocent people suffer when you don't do the good works that God prepared for you to do." Eph. 2:10

If Joseph had not done the good works--even when he was unjustly treated so many times, then his family would have suffered.

Doing the "good works" --doing the right thing is not only in the good times, but also in the hard times.    It is just as important to do the "good works" in the tough times thrust upon us as it is to do the "good works" in the times of our choosing (doing a service project, mission trip, act of kindness).

Joseph did both.  When he was second in command, he did the right thing.  But he also did the right thing in the pit, as a slave, when unfairly accused and imprisoned, when overlooked and forgotten. 

Sometimes our "good works" shine the brightest and make the most impact when we are unfairly treated, taken advantage of, overlooked.

"God, help me to honor you with my "good works" not only in the times of my choosing, but also in the tough times thrust on me.  Help me to remember that you have prepared them in advance to do, so I can rely on your power and strength.  But also help me to remember how important it is to those around me."