SATURDAY, MARCH 3
Scripture: Genesis 44:1-4

Genesis 44:1-4 says, “And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, ‘Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s money in the mouth of his sack. Also put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, and his grain money.’ So he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken. As soon as the morning dawned, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys. When they had gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, ‘Get up, follow the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, “Why have you repaid evil for good?”’” When I first read this I could not see how the deception that Joseph was using to bring his brothers back was any kind of principle that the Lord would be speaking about for this coming season. But as I waited on the Lord and prayerfully considered this passage, the silver cup and what it represents came into view: “Why have you repaid evil for good?” The cup implies the pain and adversity of betrayal. Joseph’s pain was being betrayed and sold into Egypt. Without the betrayal of his brothers, he would not have been positioned to save the family and the nation. The overarching issue that Joseph had to come to terms with was God’s use of betrayal to bring him into his destiny. If God allowed and redeemed it for eternal purpose, then Joseph had to forgive his brothers.