The Great Reunion at the Land of Goshen

(from Genesis Chapter 37, 39-47)

After long years of suffering alone, Joseph was on the limelight of Egypt commanding the Egyptians and everyone else in the City to store up food for the upcoming 7-yr famine. A Hebrew stranger became Egypt’s governor at the age of 30 because of God’s all surpassing love and favor that followed him all the time he was in a foreign land.

Joseph was favored by his father Jacob and became the latter’s center of his love. It was when his father bought him a coat of many colors when the envy of his brothers grew strong, that they sold him to a caravan of Ishmaelites at a very young age.

He was taken to Egypt and became a servant of Potiphar. How great was the suffering of this lad. How crushed must his spirit could have been, how broken must his heart be. But God never left him. God never forsook him. God was there all along…and Joseph knew it for he trusted God during those times of pain, hurt, and loneliness. He entrusted his life to God.

At the house of Potiphar, God’s favor shone brightly for Joseph prospered in everything that he does. God blessed the house of Potiphar for the sake of Joseph…to show him that even though he felt rejection in his hometown, God’s love is greater and satisfying. But it did not end there for Joseph was accused falsely by Potiphar’s wife which brought him to prison.

However, in prison, God’s protection and favor followed Joseph and he was made the keeper of the prison. Then came a time when God gave Joseph a time to shine. Two of the prisoners had a dream that Joseph interpreted, and both came true. One’s dream was that of his death, and the other was that of his resumption of his office as the chief butler of Pharaoh.

It wasn’t long enough when Pharaoh had a dream, one that no magician nor interpreter could explain. Then the chief butler remembered how Joseph interpreted his dream and how it came true. And so he told Pharaoh.

Joseph was brought to the presence of Pharaoh. Right then and there, he related what the dream meant. Seven years of abundance will be followed with seven years of famine. And Joseph did not only interpret, he gave advices on what to do. This started Joseph’s rising up to the limelight of prosperity. God blessed Joseph abundantly.

Seven years of abundance passed by quickly but Egypt has everything ready. Then famine stroke and all the other cities were affected including Joseph’s hometown. People from different parts of the world came lining up to buy grain from Egypt and Joseph being the overseer was there managing the sale of goods when he saw ten familiar faces. These were the people who put him on the pit and sold him to the Ishmaelites. How he felt his heart crushed when he saw his brothers lining up to buy food. But he never felt anger. He was not bitter towards them. He pitied his family. He longed to hug them and tell them how God prospered him.

But he wanted to test them. And he did. Then he saw how they have changed. He saw how protective they are now of their younger brother Benjamin, Joseph’s very own sibling from Rachel. Joseph knew that his ten brothers deeply regretted what they did to him. And so he revealed himself to them and asked them to get their father. He invited his family to live with him in Egypt.

How excited the ten brothers were to tell their father that Joseph was alive all those years. And when Jacob learned of it, he cried so hard and thanked God that he can still see his beloved son before he dies.

The most touching reunion happened when Jacob and Joseph met after all the years of longing, there at the land of Goshen. They cried and embraced each other. What a relief it must be for Joseph to see his father after all those times of hardships and prosperity! How great must have been their joy!

Joseph took his family and brought all of them to Egypt without regret, without bitterness, without hatred. He knew deep in his heart that God allowed all those things to happen to save not only his family but the rest of the world from famine.

All things work together to those who love God and to those who are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28). Joseph went through all those afflictions but he endured by God’s grace because everything was meant to be for good.

When God Made You (Natalie Grant)

It’s always been a mystery to me,
How two hearts can come together
And love can last forever
But now that I have found you I believe,
That a miracle has come when God sends the perfect one
And gone are all my questions about why,
And I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life

Oh I wonder what God was thinking, when he created you
I wonder if He knew everything I would need,
Because He made all my dreams come true
When God made you, He must have been thinking about me.

Ooo ooo, I promise that wherever you may go,
Wherever life may lead you,
With all my heart I’ll be there too.
And from this moment on I want you to know,
I’ll let nothing come between us, and I will love the ones you love
Now gone are all my questions about why
(Repeat second stanza)

He made the sun, He made the moon
To harmonize a perfect tune,
One can’t do without the other they just have to be together.
And that is how I know it’s true,
You for me and I’m for you and my world
Just can’t be right without you in my life
(Repeat second stanza)

He must have heard every prayer I’ve been praying.
He must have knew everything I would need

When God made you, He must have been thinking about me