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[0:00] A Pastor's Reflections, Directed, Genesis 45, 8. So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God. Deuteronomy 31, 6. Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them.

[0:19] For the Lord thy God, he it is that does go with thee, he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Matthew 10, 16. Behold, I send you. I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves.

[0:33] Be you therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves. We may each be assured that as disciples of Jesus we will each be sent.

[0:44] God's plan for the ages does not just include a redeemed people, but a redeemed people that are then sent out into this world for the purpose of sharing that redemption with others.

[0:56] The reality of that truth is not affected or changed by the conditions under which we are sent or by the people to whom we are sent. In fact, the sending of Jesus is not an easy assignment, but one where we can expect considerable pushback, either by the circumstances or the people.

[1:17] Joseph would never have chosen the means, method, or placement of his assignment. For him to be brought to the place of God's choosing, he needed to endure long seasons of heavy pushback and suffering.

[1:32] However, for Joseph, no matter how difficult the method of his sending, he never questioned the one who sent him. The one-way ticket his brothers purchased for him to leave home led to years of difficulty and being constantly misunderstood.

[1:49] He was alone and without allies, and yet he was 100% faithful to never lose sight of who it was that sent him. Behind the scenes of Joseph's drama was a script with a happy ending that only God could have written.

[2:06] Romans 8.28 You and I many times find ourselves frustrated and disillusioned over the circumstances that we have unwillingly been thrust into.

[2:26] We wonder why God would allow such tragedy, heartache, and trials into the lives of his redeemed. And yet if we look behind the curtain, we would see the master stage director at work.

[2:40] He alone knows the next scene, and he alone knows my exact placement in that scene. Am I willing to be sent when I can't see the purpose of that sending?

[2:51] Will I trust that even tragedy is not outside of the plan of the master director? When God sends me, is it enough to know that wherever I am sent, he goes with me?

[3:06] Psalms 139.8-10 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there. If I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.

[3:25] Father, in the middle of the journey, it is so easy to question the path you have chosen. Help us to have a perspective like Joseph, to know that in every twist and turn of our sending, you are with us, and you are directing us to our happy ending, yourself.

[3:45]  Amen. Amen.