Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.” When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.

Devotion based on Genesis 45:4-8

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Take a moment and type into a search engine the words “crown tapestry front / back” and see the pictures. Depending on what side of the tapestry you are looking at, it may look like a complete mess or a beautiful design. The same is true about life depending on what you are experiencing at the moment.

As an overconfident teenager, Joseph couldn’t have imagined the messiness that would soon enter his life. In an ugly display of jealousy and hatred, Joseph’s brothers sold him to slave traders who were heading to Egypt. Alone and afraid, Joseph found himself in a land far away from everyone he loved. Even worse, he was thrown in prison for something he didn’t do.

Fast forward some years later. Joseph was out of prison and serving Pharoah as a high ranking official. Then something unexpected happened. His own brothers arrived one day in Egypt looking for food. This could have been Joseph’s moment to get revenge on his brothers. He had the power to put them in prison or even have them put to death.

Instead, he did something incredible. He forgave them. Even though Joseph’s life at times seemed like a mess, God let him see the other side of the tapestry. God used the evil actions of his brothers to help save Joseph’s family. With his high position of power, he moved his entire family to Egypt where they would have plenty of food and land so they would live and not die. God displayed to Joseph how he overcomes evil with good. This motivated Joseph to do the same for his brothers.

Like the backside of a tapestry that looks like a mess, we are often led to doubt and question why God allows challenging and difficult times into our lives. We may even want to seek revenge and hold grudges against those who wrong us. The story of Joseph is a good reminder for us as God’s children that God works all things for the good of those who love him. Inspired by God’s undeserved love and his forgiveness to us, we forgive others even when it is hard. We pray and ask God each day to give us the courage and strength to overcome evil with good.

Dear heavenly Father, you are truly an all-knowing and all-powerful God who works all things for our good. Most importantly you sent your Son to forgive us for our sins. Help us to follow his example by forgiving others so that we might overcome evil with good. Amen.

The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire.

Questions for Younger Children

Questions for Elementary Age Children

Questions for Middle School and Above