For the Sake of Saving Lives

“It was really for the sake of saving lives that God sent me here ahead of you” Gen 45:6.  What Joseph’s brothers had meant as an evil God allowed as something good.  This is an important lesson.  Evil has no power to thwart God’s plans; rather God writes straight with crooked lines.  You want to sell you brother into slavery?  That’s not a problem. God already has a plan with how to deal with it.  Whether the evil you’re facing is sin or death, that’s not going to stop God.

Look at how God took care of Joseph.  He was sold into slavery abused by his master and thrown into prison, but God took care of him so that Joseph would be in the position to save people’s lives.  Joseph saved many lives, many Egyptians, and even those of his own family.  While Joseph didn’t know what God’s plan for him was.  He trusted that there was a plan.

In the Gospel reading for today, we see the same message.  Jesus tells His disciples (that means you and me) not to bring any money or a sack or any spare clothes or sandals or even a walking stick.  Rather, they have to entrust everything to God’s providence.  When God’s people are out doing God’s work, they don’t need to worry about how they’ll be taken care of.  They know that everything—everything—works for the good of those who love the Father.  So I put this question before you: how are you going to trust God today?  Are you going to trust Him with your finances?  Are you going to trust Him with your friends?  Find an area in your life, today, and entrust it to God.

And do this every day.  One thing I do every morning (and I’ll end my reflection with this) is to pray a simple prayer by Charles de Foucauld.  It goes like this “Father, I abandon myself into your hands, do with me what you will.  Whatever you do, I thank you.  I am ready for all; I accept all.  Let only your will be done in me and in all your creatures.  I ask for no more than this, O Lord.  Into your hands Lord I commend my Spirit.  I offer it to you with all the love of my heart, for I love you, Lord and so dearly wish to give of myself, to surrender myself into your hands, with boundless confidence for you are my Father.”