“But Joseph replied, ‘Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you? You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. No, don’t be afraid. I will continue to take care of you and your children.’ So he reassured them by speaking kindly to them.” (Genesis 50:19–21 NLT)

Joseph’s words to his brothers in Genesis 50:19–21 underscore a hard truth for God’s people. We are called to forgive everyone who wrongs us. Keep in mind that Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery. He spent the better part of his life separated from his beloved father. He became a servant. He spent years in an Egyptian prison for a crime he didn’t commit. All because his brothers couldn’t control their jealousy.

Yet, years later, when he was finally reunited with them—when he was perfectly positioned to exact revenge on the siblings who had taken so much from him—this is what he said: “Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you? You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. No, don’t be afraid. I will continue to take care of you and your children” (Genesis 50:19–21 NLT).

Some people get to the end of this story and say, “I could never forgive someone who did that to me.” But the spiritual reality is that they can—and must.

Jesus said, “But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too” (Mark 11:25 NLT). There is no asterisk or fine print listing the offenses that are excluded from His command. Jesus expects us to forgive those who have wronged us. Those who have taken advantage of us. Those who have slandered us. Those who have made fun of us. Those who have betrayed us.

And if we try to argue that someone doesn’t deserve our forgiveness, we’re left with an inescapable truth: That’s what makes us the perfect people to forgive, because we know how it is to receive forgiveness we don’t deserve. As the apostle Paul wrote, “Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:32 NLT).

We may not always feel like forgiving. We may see people who have wronged us and feel our blood begin to boil. That’s when we need to say, “As an act of faith, as a step of obedience to Jesus Christ, I forgive this person.”

It’s been said, “To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.” We should forgive not only for the sake of others, but also for the sake of our own mental and spiritual health. We must place our anger, pain, and desire to get even in God’s hands so that we’re no longer tormented by them.

Is there someone you need to forgive today? Are you harboring a grudge toward someone? Forgive. Forgive whoever has hurt you. As Jesus said in Luke 6:37, “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven” (NLT).

Reflection question: What would forgiveness look like in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

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The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

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“But he knows where I am going. And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold.” (Job 23:10 NLT)

“Why?” is a very popular question among God’s people. King David asked why his son rebelled against him and why the people of Israel stopped supporting him. Elijah asked why he was the only remaining prophet to stand for God. Jeremiah asked why he was suffering so much for doing what God had called him to do. Jesus Himself asked why God had forsaken Him.

But no one is more closely associated with the question “Why?” than Job. And for good reason. Job was a righteous man who savored God’s blessings in his life. Those blessings included a loving family and great wealth. Then, in quick succession, thieves plundered his livestock. Fire destroyed his servants and his possessions, leaving him with nothing. A house collapse killed his children. Boils broke out all over his body, leaving him in constant, excruciating pain.

His friends told him that he was to blame for his suffering, that he was facing divine retribution for sin. His wife told him to curse God and die.

Job sincerely believed that his suffering had nothing to do with divine retribution. He wasn’t being punished for anything. But that belief raised some serious questions. Questions that a lot of God’s people ask when they’re faced with trials and suffering. Questions that start with “Why?”

Job put it this way: “If only I knew where to find God, I would go to his court. I would lay out my case and present my arguments. Then I would listen to his reply and understand what he says to me” (Job 23:3–5 NLT).

The answer that Job received may or may not have satisfied him. And that brings us to a hard truth of the Christian faith: God doesn’t work His will for our ultimate comfort, security, or benefit. He works His will for His glory. He wants His people to recognize who He is and what He’s done—and then to worship and give thanks accordingly. That’s what we were created to do. That’s what puts us in perfect alignment with Him. That’s what gives us a soul-deep sense of fulfillment and joy.

To accomplish that, God occasionally puts us in situations from which only He can deliver us. He allows circumstances to test us so that we will draw closer to Him and rely on His resources alone to “survive and thrive.”

That way, we can’t “thank our lucky stars” or compliment ourselves on our own cleverness or resourcefulness. Rather, we must say, “Only God could have done this.” God clearly says in Scripture that He will not give His glory to another (see Isaiah 42:8).

Job honestly admitted his struggles and his need for answers. Then he added what would become a classic statement of faith: “But he knows where I am going. And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold” (Job 23:10 NLT). Job was saying, “I don’t know what’s going on. I don’t know why God has allowed these things to happen. But I know this: When I am tested, my faith will become purer and more precious.”

That was God’s objective for Job. And it’s His objective for us, too.

Reflection question: How can you “come out pure as gold” from a struggle you’re facing right now? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

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The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

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“But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Matthew 23:12 NLT)

A woman strolling on a beach noticed a man catching crabs. Every time he caught one, he placed it in an open bucket.

“Don’t you need a lid on that bucket?” the woman asked.

“No,” the man replied, “they can’t get out.”

“Why not?” the woman asked. “The bucket isn’t that big.”

“It doesn’t have to be,” the man explained. “Whenever one crab tries to go over the side, the others reach up and pull it back down again.”

Sounds like human behavior, doesn’t it? There are many people who don’t like to see others reach for the top. When a person begins to climb, they think, “How dare you succeed? How dare you do better than me? How dare you get that promotion? How dare you get that attention? How dare you do well when I’m not doing just as well? You get back down here with me!”

Envy and jealousy are sure signs of misplaced priorities. They spring from a me-first attitude like the kind Jesus was talking about when He said, “But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted” (Matthew 23:12 NLT).

It’s been said that envy shoots at another and wounds itself. And it’s hard to deny the truth in that. Left unchecked, envy and jealousy can eat us up inside.

Proverbs 14:30 warns, “A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body; jealousy is like cancer in the bones” (NLT).

James 3:16 says, “For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind” (NLT).

And Galatians 5:26 warns, “Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another” (NLT).

What’s more, envy causes us to take our eyes off what God has done for us. If we pay too close attention to the good things in other people’s lives, we’re not paying close enough attention to the blessings in our own lives. And we miss the opportunity to give thanks and grow closer to the One who gave them.

The best way to deal with envy is to recognize it as sin and repent of it. We may try to rationalize our jealousy, but we need to realize that it’s wrong and ask God to forgive us. God wants us to put the needs of others above our own, to love one another, and to care for one another. These are essential aspects of our Christian faith.

Instead of worrying about what other people have, let’s be thankful that we’re even drawing breath in our lungs. That in itself is a gift from God. And if God lifts us to an exalted position, then that’s His grace. If He lifts someone else, that also is His grace. None of us deserve it; it’s all the grace of God. Our responsibility is to be faithful to what God has called us to do.

Reflection question: How can you keep envy from getting a foothold in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

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The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast

Become a Harvest Partner

Support the show: https://harvest.org/support

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.