Broken Relationships

Dear Friends,

Last week in Genesis 44, God spoke to us through His Word about His power to transform our lives. It is exciting that the Lord has the power to break old habits and enable us to build new, godly habits and disciplines. Now in Genesis 45,we see one of the most beautiful ways in which God changes us. He brings healing to our relationships.

The first relationship that Jesus heals is our relationship with God. Through Jesus’ death we are reconciled to God through the power of the cross and as the work of the Spirit applies the blessings. When we are reconciled with God, Jesus places in us a desire to be reconciled in our other broken relationships. I thank God for seeing families and friendships healed as we look to God’s grace to give us a new love for people and a willingness to forgive and ask for forgiveness.

Joseph reveals himself to his brothers and he emphasises that it was God’s plan for him to be sent ahead (see 45:5). The brothers are guilty of sin but the good news for us is that the sin of other people doesn’t have to be last word. God is in control of all things and can bring good out of evil. Joseph indicates that God’s big purpose was to save lives and so Joseph forgives his brothers. People did evil to Jesus and crucified Him but God was in control and was able to use this for the saving of many lives.

God’s blessing David O’Mara

From the AM Pastor’s Bulletin, 5 December 2021