God at Work
It is always thrilling to see how God transforms his people. In 1782, John Wesley wrote about difficult circumstances of his
hometown Epworth. At that time the industrial revolution was under way. In his
town four factories for spinning and weaving had been set up. Within these factories
many people - young men and women, even boys and girls – were employed. Wesley
describes their manner in this way: “The whole conversation of these was
profane and loose to the last degree.” But Wesley started a prayer meeting, and
a few of these workers stumbled into one of his prayer meetings, and they
were suddenly cut to the heart. They immediately went out to gather their
friends and bring them to the prayer meeting. You can guess what happened next.
Wesley wrote: “The whole scene was changed. In three of the factories, no more
lewdness or profaneness was found, for God had put a new song in their mouth,
and blasphemies were turned to praise. Those three I visited today, and I found
religion had taken deep root in them. No trifling word was heard among them,
and they watch over each other in love. I found it exceedingly good to be
there, and we rejoiced together in the God of our salvation.”[1]
Our God is the same in 1782 and in 2016 today and forever. God is
always totally himself. He still visits and changes his people today. Other
powers change our feelings and emotions temporarily. When we read books
or meet people, that may change us. But it doesn’t last long. However, God
changes our very nature permanently. When we are touched by God’s grace
and respond to it, we are not the same forever. This month we study about
Joseph and his life. So far we have explored how God changed Joseph in
different aspects of his life each week. In the first week we explored how God
turned Joseph’s scars into stars (“Man of Sorrows”). In the second week how God
trained and prepared Joseph to live in the presence of God all the time (“Man
of Integrity”). Today we will explore how God’s grace changes Joseph’s very
nature from inside out.
Grace, Grace, God’s Grace
When you use the word grace, what does it mean to you? How do
you define the word grace? Basically, it simply means a free gift
from God. It’s an unmerited favor of God. It is not something that
we earn, but something that God gives to us out of love. It is not because we
deserve it, but because God is gracious. Grace is the art of loving someone
at their least lovable moments. God first loved us anyway. God loved
us at our least lovable moments. While we were still sinners, God
showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us (Rom 5:8). When we
experience God’s grace personally, we are cut to the heart. God’s grace just
penetrates our hearts through Jesus Christ. Joseph experienced this. He
experienced God’s grace in the very midst of adversity. When every available resource
was gone (from his family, his master Potiphar, the chief jailer, to the chief
cupbearer), Joseph found God’s favor. When he was the most vulnerable and the
least lovable, Joseph experienced God’s grace. In the dark and horrible dungeon
Joseph experienced the magnificent and indescribable love of God. And his very
nature changed permanently. Not only did Joseph become a better person,
but he became a new creation.
Grace and Humility
When we experience God’s grace, we are changed. There are several infallible signs of true transformation. We can
find those signs in Joseph’s life. The first sign is “humility.” When
Joseph stood before Pharaoh, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have heard it said of
you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” Joseph said, “I cannot
do it, but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.” So
Pharaoh told Joseph his dreams. Then Joseph said to the king, “Your dreams are
one and the same. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to
do” (25). And he continued, “The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two
forms is that the matter has been firmly decided by God, and God
will do it soon” (32). Joseph made reference to God again and again. God… God…
God… God! As he was going through a 13-year dark tunnel, he clearly saw two
things: his smallness and God’s greatness. At first, Joseph was so
discouraged by his powerlessness. There was nothing he could do. In the
dungeon he felt like he was forgotten by the world. But there he
found Almighty God who was with him always. There he experienced God’s
unmerited favor. There Joseph was transformed and became a humble man of
God.
Grace and Gratitude
The second sign of true transformation in Christ is “gratitude.”
When we are touched by God’s grace, we give thanks to God with a grateful
heart. The Greek word for thanks is built on the word for grace: Charis
becomes eucharistian. Grace and gratitude always go together. Joseph always
wanted to remember God’s grace and express his gratitude to God. So he named
his first child Manasseh, which means “God made me forget.” Every time he
called his son’s name, he remembered God’s grace. “Yes, God made me forget
all the pain and hurt I experienced. I am grateful.” When he had a second child,
he named him Ephraim, which means, “God made me fruitful.” Again each time he
called his second son’s name, he remembered God’s favor. “God made me
fruitful though I didn’t deserve it. I am grateful.” Grace and gratitude go
together.
In his book You’ll Get Through This, Max Lucado shares his
story with us. Once he was about to check in for a flight. At that time because
of a snowstorm flights were delayed and the airport was in turmoil. He arrived
to a gate just in time. The attendant said to him, “Sir, I’m afraid there are
no more seats in coach.” So Lucado was disappointed. But then the attendant
said, “We are going to have to bump you up to first class. Do you mind if we do
that?” Lucado was so glad. He enjoyed the wide seat with the extra legroom,
good service, and good food. He was so thankful. But not every passenger was as
grateful as he was. The person across the aisle from him was angry because he
had only one pillow. That person kept complaining about insufficient service. He
said, “I paid extra to fly first class. I deserve to have better service!” One
passenger grumbled; the other was grateful. What’s the difference? The crank
paid his first class seat. Lucado’s seat was a gift. On which side of the
aisle do you find yourself?[4]
Grace and Sacrifice
The third sign of true transformation we find in Joseph’s life is “sacrifice.”
Joseph willingly sacrificed the right to revenge. Instead, he chose to take
care of his brothers and their family members. He said to their brothers, “You
intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now
being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide
for you and your children” (Gen 50:18-19). Joseph was able to give up the right
because God’s grace was far greater than the sacrifices he had to make.
When we are touched by God’s grace in Jesus Christ, we give up
anything for the sake of the gospel. Hudson Taylor,
who endured great hardships in his lifelong mission work in China London China Taylor China Taylor
One time Rick Warren interviewed Bill Bright, Campus Crusade for
Christ (C.C.C.) founder. Warren 5:15 ). Amen.
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