For the Purpose of Preservation

And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life. Genesis 45:4-5 (KJV)

Are you in a tight spot right now? Do you feel closed in and trapped? Maybe you believe you are out of God’s will becuse you have been so mistreated and feel so frustrated where you are. However, you may have been placed right where you are for the purpose of preservation.

If you read the account of Joseph and all he went through, on the surface, it may have appreared that Joseph was being persecuted for the dreams God gave him- and he was. However, there was more to it. God took what men meant for harm and used it to save many lives, including Joseph’s.

God promises to protect His children from harm. Sometimes that protection comes in forms we don’t understand and sometimes even fight against. I have been in a place and season that has seemed so much like a harsh wilderness, a desert of the soul and of the body. I have struggled with the place I am in, but in my heart I know it is a place of protection. God divinely brought me to the place I am in so Jim and I could be preserved. As a matter of fact, He wanted us here so badly that He made sure we had no other option.

Of course, not every place that is frustrating to us is a place of preservation. Sometimes it is a result of the choices we have made or of the choices that others have made. But, often, the place that seems to be a wilderness, a place of great pressing and stretching, is a place intended to grow us, but also to protect us from harm. Usually such a place is temporary, but vitally important for your well-being.

Joseph went through years of great hardship in order to keep himself and his family from dying in a great famine. Look at your current situation with new eyes. Ask the Lord if He has brought you where you are to preserve your life. He will tell you if you will be still and listen for His answer. Maybe the place you are in is intended to keep you from harm. Or- maybe it is a place that God never intended for you. Either way, once you know, you can make the necessary adjustments to be in alignment with God’s will.

If you are in a place intended for the purpose of preservation, you can rest and know that while it might not be your desired place, God has a plan to use for it for your good and for your protection.