Peace, not Fear

Gen 43:23 "Then he said: 'Peace be with you, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks, I had your money.'"

Joseph's brothers were terrified. They had already been to Egypt once and Joseph put on a good act. He "spoke roughly" with them and held back Simeon while they went back to Canaan with the food that they needed for their families. The problem is, the food ran out and they needed more. So they had to go back…and this time they had to take Benjamin. All along the way they worried. Reuben worried. Judah worried. Their Dad worried. "If I am bereaved, I am bereaved." They all worried: "Now the men were afraid because they were brought into Joseph's house…". This was it. They thought that they were going to be made slaves. Why? Because they were guilty. They felt guilty. They had this gnawing thought in the back of their brains that they had treated Joseph poorly and now it was coming back to bite them. You know, "What goes around comes around." This was it. This was their pay back.

It is like that. When I screw up and sin, I tend to worry more. I think that my sin is going to come back and get me. I am always looking over my shoulder waiting for the shoe to drop. The reason? It is Biblical: "Be sure your sin will find you out." Num. 32:23. We can sin and think that we have gotten away with it, but we never do. It always comes back and worrying about it is something that naturally comes as a result.

The thing that beats that is grace. For Joseph's brothers, Joseph's grace. For me, God's grace. Joseph's brothers did not deserve what he was about to do. His brothers did not deserve what he was about to say, but they got it anyway. These words are amazing: "Peace be with you, do not be afraid." What? No more worrying? No more looking over their shoulder? No more fear? No. Only peace. This is what Joseph gave his brothers. They didn't deserve it. In fact they deserved to be made slaves, but they got something entirely different: peace.

And this is mine too. "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." John 14:27 Why? Grace. I don't deserve it. I can't earn it. It is a free gift through Jesus. Even though I screw up, even though I make mistakes, even though I sin, He still promises peace, not fear, because of His sacrifice for me.