Garry continued looking at the life of Joseph this morning, speaking from Gen 42:25-26. This talks about when his brothers had to return to Jacob, leaving Simeon behind. This must have been a severely distressing time for them; they must have felt overwhelmed by the situation, which was beyond their control. Often, insurance policies have an exclusion clause known as ‘force majeure‘, a greater force beyond our control such as natural disasters or war. Feeling overwhelmed by life is something the Bible speaks about frequently (e.g. Ps 107:23-27, 2 Cor 1:8, 2 Cor 11:25). Circumstances beyond our control can include work situations (e.g. redundancy), relationships, personal health, the health of family members, bereavement and acts of government (e.g. lockdowns). There are times when we feel that we do not know what to do, but the truth is, despite our modern facade of maintaining control in every area of life, we so often are not in control.
We are, however, under God. He wants to lead us to the path of peace, like a pilot steering a ship. The pilot is skilled in docking and undocking ships of all size and power; he is familiar with the underwater terrain, with tides and hazards of all kind.God is that kind of pilot, guiding and nagivating us through the storms of life. Jesus promised to leave His peace with us (John 14:27) As Psalm 107:28-29 makes clear, the antidote to our anxiety and trouble is to cry out to the Lord who stills the storm to a whisper and hushes the waves of the sea. Paul explained that his desperate situations actually forced him to rely on God and trust Him totally (2 Cor 1:9). Jesus demonstrated this as He calmed the storm at sea (Luke 8:22-24). Even when we are not ‘rescued’ from situations, we can know God’s peace; Jesus Himself prayed to be delivered from the weight of bearing the sin of the world, but came to surrender to God’s will (Matt 26:39-44).
This kind of faith no matter what is not simply fatalism. History demonstrates many whose faith has been inspired and strengthened through adversity. Faith is not blind optimism or fatalistic resignation; it means asking the pilot to take control and steer us through. God’s peace can reign in our hearts because we know He has our best interests at heart and we can praise Him no matter what, declaring aloud His goodness towards us.
