The Brother Who Must Return

Application

• God is working out His plan, but Jacob’s fear and desire to control keep him from participating in what God is doing. Sometimes our fear makes us cling to the very thing we need to let go of to follow God.

• One of the most important ways our faith grows is to identify what we’ve put in our “untouchable box”— the thing we try to keep from God.

• Sometimes—like Jacob allowing Benjamin to go to Egypt—exercising faith involves reluctance, yet we still take steps of obedience. We can take encouragement from knowing that our actions speak louder than our feelings. Faith is surrender before understanding.

• Joseph’s mercy toward his brothers parallels the gospel. Joseph has been deeply offended by his brothers, yet he shows kindness and invites them to a feast. We have deeply offended God, yet he offers us mercy instead of judgment. He invites us to eat at his table even though we don’t deserve it.

• The brothers’ guilt makes them suspicious and keeps them from enjoying Joseph’s kindness and mercy. Sometimes we cannot appreciate God’s kindness and mercy toward us because we have not dealt with our guilt through repentance.

Application

• God is either in charge or he isn’t. What happens when you have limited vision and your back is against the wall?

• When it comes to repentance, are we talking a big game, or are we actually taking action and doing what is right?

• What is your “Benjamin”? What is the thing you are trying to control that you need to release to God?