Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come closer to me." And they came closer. He said, "I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years; and there are five more years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. So it was not you who sent me here, but God; he has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay. You shall settle in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children’s children, as well as your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. I will provide for you there – since there are five more years of famine to come – so that you and your household, and all that you have, will not come to poverty.’ And now your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is my own mouth that speaks to you…"

Genesis 45:4-12

God does give us the perfect gift, just as He gave Joseph to his family and to the country. It just might not be in the way we expect. We are rewarded, and the Bible is full of examples of the ways we are rewarded for following Him.

God loves to give gifts to us (Psalm 37:4). The gift is described in the Bible (Romans 6:23). The gift cannot be earned (Ephesians 2:8-9). God paid for the gift Himself (John 1:29). God’s gift has the proof of purchase (Isaiah 53 and Daniel 9:26). God’s gift is wrapped with care (Revelation 5:9). God offers the gift by His grace (Romans 5:15). God’s gift can only be received through faith (John 1:12). God’s gift is available to anyone willing to receive it. God’s gift inspires gratitude (Ephesians 2:10)

Our Daily Bread – October 1, 2004