2009 - Day 26 - Strength To Weep

January 26, 2009 … Swindoll’s Topic for Today: Strength To Weep

Passage of the Day: Genesis 43: 24 – 30 ... 24 So the man brought the men into Joseph’s house and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their donkeys feed. 25 Then they made the present ready for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they heard that they would eat bread there. 26 And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed down before him to the earth. 27 Then he asked them about their well-being, and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?” 28 And they answered, “Your servant our father is in good health; he is still alive.” And they bowed their heads down and prostrated themselves. 29 Then he lifted his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, “Is this your younger brother of whom you spoke to me?” And he said, “God be gracious to you, my son.” 30 Now his heart yearned for his brother; so Joseph made haste and sought somewhere to weep. And he went into his chamber and wept there.

My Journal for Today: Don’t you just love the realness of Scripture? Here was our strong and mighty hero, the Prime Minister over millions; and our Bible tells us that Joseph, learning that all of his brothers were finally with him, including the young one, Benjamin, whom he loved; and also learning that his father still lived, Joseph just lost control of his emotions and had to leave to find the solace of his bedroom where he could be alone with God and weep. As Swindoll points out, all of a sudden all those years of loneliness and missed birthdays with his family came rushing back into his consciousness; and our very human Prime Minister became the little boy back in Canaan who was at odds with his brothers. It was all just too much; and he let it all out in tears.

What I love about this is how I can identify with this human saga. We’ve all been in places where our feelings become too much. I was just at a funeral the other day for the mother of a dear friend; and just being there reminded me of the quiet strength of my mom, who is now with Jesus. The feelings flooded forth; and I know that I was not alone at the home-going celebration of this lovely woman. My tears came easily in this moment of memory and empathy. So, I can identify with the strength of Joseph to allow his feelings to flow out in tears.

I agree with Swindoll that Joseph’s weeping was not a sign of his weakness. No, to the contrary, it was a sign that his heart, being in surrender to God, could feel the pain of the past and he could express that quietly alone. He didn’t need to make a show of the emotions to his brothers. As we’ll henceforth read, the response to Joseph’s emotions was yet to be revealed to the brothers; but at this point this strong man needed to allow his feelings to be shared with the One Joseph knew he could share anything; and that was with God in solitude.

I hope that we all realize that there is nothing we cannot share with our God. He desires that we share our inner-most feelings with Him. And I hope we’re all like Joseph, with the strength and vulnerability to do just that.

My Prayer Today: Oh, Lord, your eye is on the sparrow, so I know You’re watching me. Amen