Empty, But Not Really
Have you ever had one of those days when it feels like everyone is out to get you? I call them "Joseph days." You know, those days when your own siblings seem to be plotting your demise, stripping away your beautiful coat, and tossing you into a pit with no escape plan. Just me? Perhaps I’m being a bit dramatic, but I think we've all experienced our own version of Joseph's story.
Genesis 37 tells us that Joseph's brothers "took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it" (verse 24). I've always found that description fascinating. The Bible specifically notes the emptiness of the pit. It was void, barren, and desolate…except for Joseph and God.
I wonder what Joseph thought as he sat in that dark hole. Did he cry out? Did he pound against the earthen walls?
When Judgment Clouds Our Vision
Have you ever been quick to judge someone, only to later discover a whole backstory you never knew? I've been guilty of this too often. This tendency of the human heart recently hit me afresh when I re-examined the story of Moses striking the rock at Kadesh.
Like many believers, I've often viewed this account through a simplistic lens. God said, "Speak to the rock," but Moses struck it instead, and punishment ensued. An open-and-shut case of disobedience, right?
However, as I dug a little deeper into the passage this morning, something was revealed. Standing once again at Kadesh after forty years of wilderness wandering, Moses wasn't merely facing another water crisis; he was standing at the epicenter of Israel's greatest failure.
Imagine what must have raced through Moses' 120-year-old mind. Here he was, back at the scene of the crime, so to speak.
The Great Tissue Disaster
The moment I opened the dryer door, I knew I was in for a big mess. Someone (and I won't say who to protect the guilty party) left tissues in the pocket of his jeans...again. I stood there, mouth agape, staring at what looked like a winter wonderland inside my dryer. Only this wasn't the magical kind of snow that brings joy and merriment. This was the "I-now-have-to-spend-an-hour-picking-tiny-bits-of-tissue-from-every-single-item-of-clothing" kind.
I don't know when you last ran a load of laundry that contained tissues, but the result is quite a mess. It's truly amazing how a few small tissues can affect every single garment in that load of laundry. Not a single item came away without at least some bits of tissue clinging to them. T-shirts, jeans, socks? Yup, it was all decorated with white specks that resembled dandruff gone wild. Obviously, I was not pleased.
It Is Well: Finding Certainty Before the Miracle Happens
I settled into my favorite armchair, Bible open on my lap, and reread the story of the Shunammite woman in II Kings 4. Her journey from despair to faith has always intrigued me, but this time, something new stood out. It wasn't just her words that shifted. Her entire perspective transformed as she drew nearer to God's presence.
At home, with her lifeless son lying on the bed, she declared, "It shall be well." What a statement of faith! She didn't see any evidence of life or hope, yet she spoke with certainty. She trusted in God's power, even when circumstances screamed otherwise. That's where faith begins, for her and for us. It starts with a declaration, a bold statement of belief in God's ability to intervene, even when the situation seems impossible.
But she didn't stop there. She didn't just sit by her son's body and hope for the best. No, she took action.
The Blind Leading the Blind
I slumped back in my chair and let out a lengthy sigh. For the past twenty minutes, I had been watching a tutorial video that promised to resolve my illustration dilemma for my latest book project. As someone who takes pride in creating visually appealing books, I was eager to learn this new technique.
However, my enthusiasm quickly morphed into frustration as I realized the presenter had no idea what she was talking about. Not only was she new to the software, but she openly admitted she hadn’t actually tried the feature she was attempting to teach!
“Let me just click around here and see what happens,” she said repeatedly, fumbling through menus and settings while I watched in growing dismay. It didn’t take long for me to realize I understood the software better than she did.