Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate robe for him. When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.
Genesis 37:3-4 (NIV)
The providence of God is like a vast and intricate tapestry woven with threads of every color and texture, stretching out to the infinite beyond. Each thread represents a person, an event, a circumstance, and every single stitch is carefully and intentionally placed by the hand of God to create a magnificent work of art.
At times the threads may seem tangled and chaotic with no easily discernible pattern or purpose. But if we would just step back and view the tapestry from a distance, we begin to see the beauty and the order that emerges from the chaos. We see how every thread is connected to the others and how every stitch is necessary for the creation of the whole. Every detail is part of a larger divine plan. In this tapestry of providence, we see the hand of God at work.
Every one of us is purposefully unique, intentionally created as part of something bigger and more beautiful than we could have imagined. This is powerfully displayed in and through the life of Joseph. We see how God’s providence unfolds amidst the dangling threads of a life that has so many dramatic twists and turns. In creating that magnificent piece of art, there are chaotic and entangled seasons, fiercely dramatic exchanges, and a lot of unfair treatment. Yet the providence of God delivers Joseph to his lived purpose that eventually saves people from peril and positions him to spiritually change the world.
Joseph teaches us to celebrate providence and accept the fact that providence brings pressure. Joseph is not to blame for the sudden turn of brotherly affection nor his distinction in the family line, but the providence of God at work in his life was creating pressure that had him singled out and hated, mistreated and dismissed.
We celebrate providence. We love the fact that God is in control and that God is active daily in the matriculation of our lives. Your steps have been ordered. He’s begun a work, and He intends to complete it. Perhaps some of the pressure in your life has nothing to do with sin but with providence.
