Do you believe your suffering is part of a bigger story?
Happy Monday!✌️ Are you ready for another chamatkar-filled week? I’m so happy you’re here for the journey.🤗
Someone who could’ve probably used a chamatkar or two in his life is Joseph. When you read his story, things seem to go wrong at every turn, through no fault of his own. But when you take a moment to let this story speak to you, you will stand amazed at how it points to Jesus at every turn (read it in Genesis 37 onwards). And that’s exactly what we’ll be doing this week!
Both Joseph and Jesus are conceived by a miracle, and both their big life events are foretold in dreams. Joseph is publicly singled out as his dad’s favourite, and Jesus, too, receives public acknowledgement from His Father:
And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” – Matthew 3:17 NIV
Joseph’s dreams about his family bowing down to him ignite such jealousy in his brothers that they plot to kill him. Jesus, too, is met with hatred by His fellow Jews when He reveals Himself as the Son of God who has come to save the world. They get so angry that they attempt to throw Him off a cliff (Luke 4:18-30).
Jesus and Joseph are both betrayed for money by people closest to them. Joseph is sold into slavery by his brothers for 20 pieces of silver, and Jesus is betrayed by his very own disciple, Judas, for 30 pieces of silver.
Joseph is taken away from his father to eventually reach a position where he can save not only his entire family but also many surrounding nations from starvation. Jesus left His place at the Father to deliver us from spiritual hunger; He became the bread of life.
What makes all these reflections so incredibly chamatkari is the fact that these two stories unfolded over 1,500 years apart. Nothing about Jesus’ life was random; history had been testifying to Him for millennia.
Jesus is the God of the past, present and future. He is the centre of all of history, and yet He desires to know you personally.
Take a moment to let that sink in.
