“And Joseph said unto them, ‘Fear not—for am I in the place of God? But, as for you, you thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Now, therefore, fear not; I will nourish you and your little ones.’ And, he comforted them and spoke kindly unto them.”

Genesis 50:19-21

It wasn’t his position on the throne that enabled him to do it; it was his connection with the One Who’d done the same thing for him.

Forgiveness.

That’s the essence of today’s Manna. And, we must realize that such doesn’t come easily, quickly or painlessly. In fact, as we’ll see, it cost Jesus His life on the Cross. Therefore, we’d do well to make this spiritual Food a part of our daily diet, lest we forget what Jesus Himself had to say on the subject (Mt. 6:12, 14-15).

In reality, Joseph had had 20-22 years’ practice in learning forgiveness before today’s Manna took place. Sold into slavery at the age of 17 (Gen. 37:2) and 30-years-old when Pharaoh placed him second-in-command (41:46), there’d already been seven years of bountiful crops before the famine set in. And, we’re not told how long it was after it started before his brothers showed up wanting to buy corn (42:1-6).

But, one thing was clear:

Joseph had had plenty of time to learn forgiveness, for such tenderness of heart and gentleness of spirit do not spring from a hardened heart filled with a root of bitterness.

No, no doubt from the time he was a young boy sitting on his mama’s lap listening to the stories of Enoch, Noah, Abraham and Jacob. . .to his formative years as a teenager. . .and during those difficult 13 years preceding the palace that took him to the pit and the prison. . .he’d had ample opportunities to mull over his situation and all that’d happened to him.

“And the Lord was with Joseph and he was a prosperous man. . .And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house and over all that he had that the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake. And the blessing of the Lord was upon all that he had in the house and in the field.”

Genesis 39:2a, 5

When we remember this, we need not wonder if the Lord will bless wherever we are or whatever we’re going through.

“And the Lord was with Joseph.”

Of all the truths we encounter in God’s Word, none is more important or powerful than this one. In reality, it’s simply a restatement of the description given to Enoch and Noah, where it says “And _______ walked with God” (Gen. 5:22, 24; 6:9). It’s also a beautiful picture of what it means to “abide in Christ” (Jn. 15:1-7), “walk in the Spirit” (Rom. 8:1) and Jesus’ promise in the Great Commission (Mt. 28:20).

So often we forget this and end up feeling like Elijah under the juniper tree: “I’m the only one left who’s truly serving the Lord” (I Kings 19:9, 14). But, in the midst of such forlorn pining the Lord comes to us and says “You’re not the only one left; there are still many others who are on the firing line. Stay focused and faithful!” (I Kings 19:18).

Now, Joseph had every reason to be down-in-the-mouth and ready to quit. His own brothers had just sold him to some traveling strangers who passed by their camp (Gen. 37:25-36). And, here he was—a descendant of Noah, Abraham and Jacob-Israel—serving as a slave to the polytheistic Egyptians.

They looked different. They talked different. They dressed different.

Yet, he was their slave. . .forced to wait on them hand-and-foot. . .making sure their food was on the table when they were ready to eat. . .turning down their covers at night when they were ready to go to bed. . .washing the dishes and taking out the trash, etc.

What kind of life was that for someone who was a “child of Abraham”?

Not much—if you look at such through natural eyes.

“Now, therefore, be not grieved nor angry with yourselves, that you sold me hither—for God did send me before you to preserve life. . .And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So, now, it was not you that sent me hither, but God—and He has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his house and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.”

Genesis 45:5, 7-8

Solitary experiences may seem disjointed and dysfunctional for now, but later on we’ll look back and see God’s Hand in them all as we commit them to Him.

Anyone who’s ever worked on a jigsaw puzzle knows how challenging it is—especially when it’s a big one with 2,000 pieces or more. Corner pieces are easy to find because of their shape. And, those with similar colors and patterns are also more recognizable than others.

But, then the work begins.

Slowly we begin trying to match up the pieces—first by shape and then by shades of color. We find a piece that looks perfect, but it won’t fit into the hole. So, we keep looking and keep trying. Sometimes we grow frustrated and threaten to dump the whole thing in the garbage; but, we back away, do something else for a while and come back again for another go-round, intent on finishing the puzzle.

And, slowly, but surely, the pieces fall into place and soon we’re down to a handful, which are usually inserted into the right spot by eager hands. Then, we step back, smile, take a deep breath and say “Yes! It’s finished!” and want to show someone else the “fruits of our labor.”

“And Joseph said unto them, ‘Fear not—for am I in the place of God? But, as for you, you thought evil against me, but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Now, therefore, fear you not; I will nourish you and your little ones.’ And he comforted them and spoke kindly unto them.”

Genesis 50:19-21

Although our part may not be as strategic as his was, it’s still important nevertheless, which behooves us to be faithful in all we do and say.

Joseph.

His name meant “May God add” and certainly described how his life would be. Outwardly, it seemed it described the multiple sufferings he endured: Family animosity. . .false accusation… a forgetful associate. But, by the end of his life he realized the Lord God was simply using each experience to move him closer to his final position in Pharaoh’s palace to insure His promises to Abraham would be fulfilled.

Examined individually—his being sold by his brothers (Gen. 37:18-36), falsely accused of rape by Potiphar’s wife (39:1-23) and forgotten and left in prison a “full, two years” by Pharaoh’s butler (40:1-41:1a)—these separate painful events in Joseph life seem like “cruel and unusual punishment.” But, when joined together as a whole in a sequential way, they served as God’s stepping stones to place him where he needed to be when the seven-year famine hit.

Now, again, when he was going through them, no doubt Joseph wondered why all of this was happening to him. He knew he was born into a dysfunctional family, where his mother (Rachel) and her sister (Leah) were jealous of each other (Gen. 29:16-30:1). Likewise, his 10 half-brothers despised him—partly because of their father’s favoritism of him (37:4), partly because of his snitching on them (37:2c) and partly because of his outlandish visions that showed them as subservient to him (37:5-11).

“Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain—and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And, he prayed again and the heaven gave rain and the earth brought forth her fruit.”

James 5:17-18

If He did it through them, He can do it through us.

That’s the message in today’s Manna—i.e., if God could use Elijah to stop the rain for 3 ½ years and then start it back again—He can also use us. Although we may never have that happen in our lives. . .or call down fire from Heaven as he did (I Kings 18:30-39). . .the fact remains “Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are.”

What does that mean?

Quite simply, He was “just like us.”

So often we look at the Biblical characters like Noah, Abraham, Joseph, David, Daniel, the Apostles, etc., and feel like they’re in the “Big Leagues,” while we’re in the minors. Somehow we paint them “larger than life,” feeling they’re head-and-shoulders above us spiritually.

But, the fact remains (according to God’s Word) that they were faced with the same temptations we are. And, like us, they didn’t always bat 1000.

Noah was used by God to build the ark and save a remnant, yet he still got drunk, exposed and cursed his own grandson (Gen. 9:20-25). Abraham was called by God to “go without knowing where he was going” (Gen. 12:1-4; Heb. 11:8), yet twice-lied about his wife (Gen. 12:11-20; 20:1-18) and resorted to a carnal plan for children, instead of waiting upon the Lord (16:1-4). Moses was used mightily by God to deliver the Israelites from Egyptian bondage, yet offered every excuse he could think of to get out of doing God’s bidding (Ex. 3:11-4:17).

“Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail and the fields shall yield no meat. The flock shall be cut off from the fold and there shall be no herd in the stalls—yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength and He will make my feet like hinds’ feet and He will make me to walk upon my high places.”

Habakkuk 3:17-19

Knowing what to do during these times will keep you from losing hope.

Blessing in barrenness. Joy in sorrow. Hope in the midst of despair.

That’s the essence of the message in today’s Manna as Habakkuk’s “belly trembled, lips quivered and rottenness entered his bones” as he thought of the coming invasion of Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylonian army on his homeland (3:16; 1:5-11).

At first he was troubled over the half-hearted, hard-hearted condition of his countrymen. Like the children of Israel in the wilderness, they’d refused to hear and heed his call to repentance. His despair further deepened when it seemed God Himself had turned a deaf ear to his cries (1:2-4, 12-17). And, when the Lord finally showed him His coming judgment (1:5-11; 2:2-13, 15-19; 3:17), it only increased his anguish over the whole situation.

Yet, in the midst of it all the Lord reminded him of His faithfulness.

When troubles abound, trust must also abound. When fruitlessness is evident on every hand, faith must arise and say “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will joy in the God of my salvation.”

Anyone can look at the headlines or the evening news and say “Oh me, oh my—what’s the world coming to? Look at the prices. And, listen to those rumblings of war on the horizon. Oh me, oh my—what am I going to do?!?”

“. . .but the just shall live by his faith.”

Habakkuk 2:4b

It’s the battle cry of every generation and the secret of serenity of soul.

“But the just shall live by faith.”

The early church fathers called it “Sola fide” (“Faith alone”) in Latin. And, sometimes they’d also say “Sola scriptura” (“Scripture alone”). But, we must realize that long before God’s Word was written down there was a need for faith—and that’s why Noah, Abraham, Joseph, etc., understood the meaning of today’s Manna long before it was recorded by Habakkuk sometime during his ministry (609-597 B.C.).

We know that faith is more than the accumulation of Biblical facts or doctrines. Instead, it is trust in Who God is and what He has promised (Heb. 11:6). It is inward assurance that what He said is trustworthy because He is trustworthy—and even though we may not see or receive what we’ve been hoping for in this life, the Day will come when such will occur (Heb. 6:17-20; 11:39-40; Gal. 6:9; I Cor. 15:58; Rev. 14:13). Hallelujah!!

The Apostle Paul certainly understood what it meant to live by faith. That’s why he encouraged those struggling Christians in Rome to cling to God’s Promises in the midst of persecution (Rom. 1:17). Likewise, that’s why he had such strong words of exhortation for the Galatian believers, who were being tempted to turn away from the hope they had in Jesus Christ (Gal. 3:1ff). Once again, he cites our Manna as he reminded them of the liberty they have in the One Who “frees us from the curse of the Law by being made a curse for us” (Gal. 3:10-14).

One of the devil’s favorite, most-often-used tools is that of doubt. He used it on Adam and Eve in the Garden (Gen. 3:1-5). He used it on every saint in the Old and New Testaments. He even tried to tempt Jesus into falling into his devilish traps by twisting God’s Word around to his advantage, but He wouldn’t take the bait.

That’s why it’s imperative that we repeatedly say during the day, “The just shall live by faith. The just shall live by faith. When I’m tempted to doubt and look at the way things are, instead of the way they shall be in Christ, I must still boldly say ‘The just shall live by faith’.”